Sapphire Bullets
by Digicowboy
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse for Raven...First, she was caught under a love spell, then she was dragged by Beast Boy to another city, only to end up in danger of her life yet again...The final Chapter, Country Roads Take Me Home, now up.
1. Hitman

_**Sapphire Bullets**_

DC - Yo. This is my first Teen Titans fanfic, so I thought I'd just pop this in here to let you know that the pairing is Raven and Beast Boy, sort of. I'm probably going to add more chapters soon as I can, but I'd like to know if it'll be worth it first. So, if you could review, I'd be extremely grateful. Anyway, shall we continue?

Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans. However, I do own the rights to the cheap Puerto-Rican bootleg, Titan Teens. I'm taking all offers, people.

* * *

"Are you sure we got the right person?" She asked, leaning in close to her partner, a fixed grin on her face, trying not to alarm the person facing them, assembling his equipment.

"Positive." He reassured her, nodding in a satisfied manner.

"It's just that I never imagined him like this, you see…" She hissed, not wanting to be heard. There was a dull, metallic thunk. Her partner shrugged.

"So he's updated his image and his kit. Why can't he move with the times, too?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm just making sure we have…him, rather than just some nut with a Winchester rifle." She whispered. Without looking up, the figure interrupted their conversation.

"It's not a Winchester rifle, madam. Plainly you know nothing about guns. This is a Gibbs Quest Three Extreme Carbine rifle, with 2A Chrome Vanadium steel barreled action, and whilst it is chambered for the powerful .308 Winchester, it adds the benefits of polymer stocks to the design. It has a weatherproof electroless nickel finish, a ten round chamber, and a unique compensator/flash-hider that tames recoil and reduces muzzle jump, and I have had it modified to use my preferred scope, the Aimpoint Comp ML2."

She blinked. Whatever he had just said, it had passed right over the top of her head. She turned to her colleague to see if he had any better idea than she, but he shook his head and shrugged.

"We don't know a lot about guns. This is why we have hired you, even if yours is a specialized field."

"Of course you hired me. I'm the best there is." The figure sneered, tying a bandana over his head.

Trying hard to refrain from making the comment that he was the only person in this line of business, and consequently also the worst, the woman nodded.

"So, I take it we have an agreement?"

"You got it."

"And your fee?"

"No fee. This time, I'll do it for the challenge."

The man nodded. "In that case, consider this a token of our thanks, rather than a payment." He slid a plain briefcase across the floor to the world's most famous hitman, who looked at it blankly.

"I don't need a suitcase."

"No, it's filled with money." The man explained patiently.

"…Oh." The world's most exclusive, elusive hitman nodded, comprehension dawning.

"Well, we'll leave you to your preparations. Let's go, Miss… Jones."

"Yes, Mr… Smith." They rose, and left, closing the apartment door behind them. When she was certain they were out of eavesdropping range, the woman shot her partner a curious look.

"Miss Jones? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Don't give me that look; it was the best I could come up with. You know how strange these Earth names are."

"Oh, fine. I don't suppose it matters in the long run." She consented. "You are sure we're doing the right thing, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. She is the Daughter of Trigon. She has to be neutralized, and this is the best way."

"Yes, I suppose so. I just wish she and we had some choice in the matter."

"Omelettes and eggs, Miss…Jones, Omelettes and eggs."

After they had left, and the echo of their voices had faded away, the hitman looked down at the table, and the picture that lay upon it. His target, a prominent figure on the international crime-fighting scene, not that he was concerned by that. When you did his work, morals weren't exactly black-and-white. He worked for the challenge, and sometimes the money, if he felt it was too easy. But this one, ah…Superheroes. He grinned, and picked up his leather jacket. Image was important these days; no-one took him seriously in the olden times. Then again, he had his trademark to think of. He slipped on the black jacket. On the back, some forgotten tailor had redesigned the fabric to include the image of two white wings, spreading from the stitch along his spine to the tip of the jacket's shoulders. It made him look a little like a Hell's Angel, which some people will tell you he is. Cupid shouldered his rifle, tucked the picture into his pocket, and left for Jump City.

* * *

Raven floated into the main area of Titan's Tower, her eye catching the large screen that dominated the front of the room. Typically, there was a video game on. Instead of the usual racing game, this time it was a beat 'em up match between those well known characters, Large Bare-Chested Man Wearing a Cowboy Hat, and Under-Dressed, Over Balanced Schoolgirl. As she watched, the Schoolgirl leapt back out of the reach of a huge, heavy handed swipe from the Cowboy, and then darted in with a sweeping kick, knocking him to his feet and then performing a decidedly unladylike maneuver on her prone foe. The screen flashed red, and the Schoolgirl posed for victory in a position that only just managed to be slightly more suggestive than everything else about her was. This, however, was background noise to Cyborg, who dropped his controller with a clatter, exasperated.

"Aww, man, I don't get it. How is it you beat me down every time we play this game?"

"Dude, you play the game like you fight. You just try and smash, that's why I always beat you. I'm too fast for you!" The changeling grinned. Unseen by the two friends, Raven also smiled a little in the shadow of her cloak. Beast Boy had a point, not that she would ever admit that to him.

_That's not all you won't admit to him, is it?_ A voice purred inside her mind. Raven frowned, and quelled the voice of one of her most irritating emotions. She had been right, but that didn't mean Raven was going to like it, or do anything about it. Even if she had grown closer to Beast Boy over time, it certainly wasn't the L-word, and even it if was, which it wasn't, she wasn't ever going to act on it. She knew too well what happened if she lost her grip on her feelings.

_Besides, how can he possibly be interested in us?_ Another voice murmured sadly inside her. Raven wasn't sure who that had been. There were too many candidates. Depression, Guilt, Self-Doubt, Fear, Paranoia…The list went on, and she decided that after she'd had her tea, she'd go have a little talk with her emotions. They'd been growing too intrusive by far after the incident Cyborg and Beast Boy had in her soul-mirror, and she suspected that her changing biology wasn't helping. No-one had ever really been around her for long enough to take her aside and explain the birds and the bees, or the ins and outs of growing up and moving from child to teen to adult, but she read a lot, and wasn't stupid. She was well aware that the upcoming years would be interesting, and being half-demon could only complicate matters further. But this was a train of thought for another time. She floated over to the fridge as Cyborg stomped out of the room, muttering something about doing some repairs on the T-Car.

* * *

Beast Boy watched his friend go, grinning. It was always nice to win against Cyborg. As he left, he caught Raven in the corner of his vision, and the grin faded. Now he wasn't sure if Cyborg had left because he'd been beaten horribly, or because Raven was here. Since the half man, half machine was pretty much his best friend, he knew what Beast Boy felt about the Sorceress and delighted in giving them 'alone time' as he called it, often whilst grinning. It was quite an effective torture, probably punishment for the time that the changeling had sneaked into the garage and replaced all the CDs in the T-Car with Country and Western. He wanted to tell Raven that he, well, really, really liked her, but he couldn't because she was Raven, and he was probably so beneath her attention it wasn't even funny. But it wasn't in his nature to be alone in a room with someone and not say anything, which meant several minutes of strained conversation at least…He steeled himself for the ordeal ahead, and strolled over to the kitchen area. Might as well get it over with for now.

* * *

On the oil rig out to sea, Cupid nodded in satisfaction. He had had the Tower under surveillance from here for the last two weeks, and now his patience had paid off. He released the safety, centered the sights on the girl's chest, and squeezed the trigger. It was a clean shot. She was thrown to the floor, as if she'd been hit by a car as the bullet tore through her.

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DC - ….Did I mention this is going to be a comedy fic? Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Let me know what you think, and if people want it, I'll finish off chapter two! Till then, peace out.

DC


	2. What happened next

DC – Thanks for reviewing, guys. It means a lot to me.

Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans any more. Learn from my experiences, and don't leave the documents on a stool on the street under a sign marked 'Free Cartoon Rights'

**_Sapphire Bullets 2 – What happened next_**

* * *

"Raven!" Beast Boy gasped, all his misgivings and worries forgotten and replaced by entirely new worries and fears. He knelt down beside her, cradling her head in his lap. Her cloak fluttered to the floor and lay still, and he looked her over. It was odd…It had looked as if something had hit her, knocked her down, but there were no marks, no holes, nothing to indicate she had been hit. Which could well mean it was some psychic thing. Just like Robin had shown him, he felt for her pulse on her neck. His fingertips glided across her pale skin, searching for the right place, and he was amazed. She always looked as if she'd be cold, but she seemed pretty warm. Maybe it was a fever? He wasn't the right person for this sort of thing! His free hand fumbled for his communicator, but paused when he found her pulse. It was beating strong and evenly.

"Raven?" He asked, worry still evident in his voice. "Raven! Can you hear me? Robin, someone, come in!" He pleaded, both to her and to his communicator.

"Beast Boy, what's wrong?" Crackled Robin's voice, and he tore his gaze away from his fallen secret love.

"It's Raven! She just collapsed or something!"

"I'll be right there!" Robin promised, shutting off the communicator. It shouldn't take long for the other Titans to get here, and Beast Boy looked worriedly towards the main door, his fingers still feeling the calm thud-thud of Raven's pulse.

It was like touching an electric fence when he felt a hand over his own.

* * *

Raven was drowning in a sea of pink. It washed through Nevermore like a tidal wave, the barren landscape and bleak trees being transformed into fields and blossoms.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She announced, wringing out her cape, which was now pink at the hem. She looked around at the landscape with distaste. If anything, it was eerier now than it had been before. Evidently, Love hadn't been talking much with Taste.

"Wait, Love? Why did I say that?" She wondered aloud.

"Who else could it have been? Knowledge?" Sneered a voice behind her. Raven half turned, then her hands were covered with black globes of energy as she prepared to fight.

"Rage." She greeted her least favourite emotion coldly.

"Raven." The red-cloaked girl nodded disdainfully, and then looked around with a dark expression on her face. Darker than usual, that is.

"Nauseating, isn't it." She remarked, leaning against a tree and making a disgusted noise in the back of her throat as the pink shockwave hit it, turning it from a cracked and withered tree into something from a Disney movie.

"Not my style." Raven admitted guardedly, not relaxing yet. "What's happening to me? What's Love done?"

"Oh, please. That sickening little miss couldn't have done this even if she wanted to. This is outside interference. Doesn't that just make you _angry?_" She smiled charmingly, which was really quite sinister.

"Not really." Raven said through gritted teeth, grudgingly relaxing out of combat stance. "But I do want to know more. Where's Knowledge?"

"Right here." Came another voice, from behind her again. Raven sighed, and turned again to confront the yellow-caped girl with the thick glasses.

"I want answers. Short ones." She said, remembering which aspect of herself she was talking to.

"You were shot."

"…Longer than that." Raven clarified.

* * *

Beast Boy looked down, not sure how to deal with this sudden, wonderful change. Raven had placed her hand over his own, and was looking up at him adoringly.

"Beast Boy…" She whispered, blushing. He didn't think she could...

"Raven! You're OK?" He asked, shaking off his stupefaction and trying hard to concentrate on the health and wellbeing of his team-mate. "What happened to you?"

"I'm fine, BB." Raven said, smiling. "I got shot, but I'm OK now."

BB? She was giving him a nickname, and blushing, and holding his hand? What was going on here?

"You got what?" He demanded incredulously. Raven sighed, and leaned back against his lap.

"I got shot, I think…No, wait…" Her brow furrowed. "I can't remember anymore. Does it matter?"

Beast Boy tried to unglue his tongue from the top of his mouth. Something definitely wasn't right here.

"Raven, are you sure you're feeling all right?" He asked cautiously. Suddenly, she twisted around to face him, kneeling up and gazing into his eyes with an intensity that was actually quite intimidating.

"I'm more than alright, darling! When I woke up and saw you over me, looking so worried, I realised how easy it would be to tell you how much I love you!" She exclaimed. Beast Boy became uncomfortablly aware of arms around his neck.

"Uh…." He said, intelligently. The door to the tower slid open, and the other Titans dashed in, ready to deal with whatever emergency had befallen their friend. There was an awkward pause, during which Beast Boy mouthed 'help me' at the other Titans. Robin dropped the medical supply case on his foot.

"Ow." He said quietly.

"Dudes, it's not what it looks like! I can explain!" He paused. "Well, I can't, but…"

Raven kissed him on the cheek, and Cyborg grinned and started to saunter away, whistling jauntily.

"Cyborg, you're not helping!" yelled Beast Boy as Raven pushed him to the floor for a cuddle. He was scared. This was wrong.

* * *

"….So in summation, I was shot with some kind of magical force, delivered inside a bullet. The magic healed my wounds and erased short-term memory of the shot, but I got enchanted with a 'love' spell that made me fall in love with the first person I saw."

"Which just to happened to be Beast Boy, who you already had feelings for." Interjected Knowledge. Raven shot her a dirty look, but it was futile denying it here, inside her own mind. She elected to carry on instead.

"…Thank you. In addition to that, since my emotions have been personified, and due to my parentage, there were side effects. I'm not really me, I'm a manifestation of myself as I should be, because my conscious mind has been taken over by the spell, which affected Nevermore."

A pink-tinged wind whipped around Raven and her Emotions, plucking the four-eyed Ravens from the sky, whirling them around in the slipstream until they flew out as Bluebirds, or leapt onto the blossoming, heart-achingly lovely trees as Squirrels, which scampered up to the girls, looking up at them trustingly until Rage kicked them with a savage degree of satisfaction. Raven chose to ignore that.

"But why hasn't Love tried anything? She's been pretty persistent lately."

Knowledge polished her glasses.

"Well, I'd guess that this veneer of 'false true love' is blocking out her voice. It's artificial, and like all imitations, it tries too hard to look genuine. It's too loud, if you like. It could be that she wants to pursue Garfield by her own means, in our own way, which this spell certainly isn't."

There was a shriek of pain and protest from over the nearest flower-strewn hill.

"…Or, it could be that your sense of Honour has her in a headlock." The yellow robed emotion concluded. Raven nodded, and jerked her head back at Rage.

"And what is _she_ doing here?" She asked.

Rage chuckled, her four glowing red demonic eyes more out of place than normal.

"I'm always waiting in the wings, Raven, you know that. Besides, you'll need me this time round." Raven whirled around, studying the face of her darkest side.

"…No, I don't think so." She said calmly. Rage sneered, and stalked away.

"So, Knowledge, how do we beat this thing?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to check through our memories. In the meantime, there's not a lot else we can do."

"In that case, I'll help you. It's better than being stuck in Disney Land." Raven sighed.

* * *

Robin rewound the security footage of the main lounge earlier on that day, then pressed play again.

"Beast-Boy wasn't lying, this isn't like Raven at all…Three-thirty-three, normal awkward silence and repressed feelings all around. Thee-thirty-six, she's all over him like you at a barbeque."

"Funny, though." Remarked Cyborg, grinning. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who'd noticed the way the Changeling and the sorceress acted around each other. Robin rewound the video again, his eyes watching the screen intently.

"Any changes?" He asked. Cyborg looked down at the other active monitor in the security hub. Beast Boy was nervously pacing the infirmary floor, and Starfire was sat down next to the bed on which Raven floated.

"Nope. BB's still wearing a hole in the floor and Raven's still sleeping off that drug you gave her." He reported. Robin nodded, and continued to scan backwards frame by frame. Just before Raven fell, he gasped, and looked grimly at the screen. Cyborg craned forward to see what he was looking at.

"Cyborg, do you see that?" He asked, urgently. Cyborg enhanced the magnification in his artificial eye. Just there in the window pane, it was just possible to make out what could possibly be a hole in the window, like a shot had been fired through it. Then again, it could just be a stain on the glass, or a reflection from the bay, or even a smear on the monitor. Nevertheless…

"I think I do, Robin." He said quietly. Robin sighed, and slumped backwards.

"Good, I'm not just imagining things." He said, relieved. "Slade is controlling the clouds."

Cyborg blinked. "Huh?"

"There, you see? That cloud there looks just like Slade's mask!" Robin pointed to the screen, directing Cyborg's attention to an indistinct, unremarkable fluffy blur.

"Uh..." Cyborg said, quietly.

* * *

Beast Boy's communicator beeped, and he opened it, tearing his eyes away from Raven.

"What is it, Cyborg?" he asked, glad of the distraction.

"Yo, man. All her medical scans are normal, and we've not found anything on the security tape. Sorry Casanova, but we've got no leads here. It looks like it's going to take a while, anyway." There was a crash and a clatter from behind Cyborg, and a green and red figure ran past the screen. Beast Boy shot Cyborg a questioning look, and the tin man had the decency to look embarrassed on the Boy Wonder's behalf.

"Robin's having one of his little S-word moments." He explained. Beast Boy rolled his eyes.

" Figures it would happen now…Thanks for trying, dude."

"No problem, loverboy."

Beast Boy shook his head and turned off his communicator. Starfire looked over at him with concern.

"There is no news?" She asked. Beast Boy shook his head.

"Nope." Starfire looked at him with a puzzled expression as he took the other chair, and sat next to Raven's bed.

"Please, I do not understand. Am I meant to be joyous or sad that Raven has confessed she has the feelings for you? At the moment I am…simply confused. I believed that you felt that Raven was your _Brechi'Lana_"

Sometimes, Beast Boy was fairly sure that Starfire was just making these words up, but at least in this case, her meaning was clear. He glanced over at Raven's face. Her eyes were closed and her face was calm, and serene. She was asleep, so why not confess?

"I do, Star. I love her, and I want her to be my…uh…Brekkie Llama. But…this isn't Raven. She'd never act like this, and even if she doesn't remember anything being wrong, I do. Raven doesn't have feelings for me." He finished firmly. Starfire looked at him sideways, a little sad. She could see the truth, but perhaps this was something her friend had to sort out. She had to agree, though. This was most un-Raven like…

"Oh, Star, I almost forgot. Robin's having one of his S-Word moments, you might wanna go help him out." Beast Boy mentioned, remembering. Starfire sprang into the air, and began to fly out. She paused by the door.

"Friend Beast Boy, are you sure you will be the O.K here alone?"

"She's asleep, Star. I can handle it." He said, firmly. The alien girl nodded hesitantly, and flew out to help Cyborg restrain Robin. Beast Boy heard the door click closed behind her, but did not turn around.

"Raven…" he whispered to himself. "What's wrong with you?"

"I already told you, beloved, nothing's wrong with me." Raven said out loud, a smile gracing her delicate features. Beast Boy jolted.

"I didn't know you were awake." He said lamely.

"I only just woke up." She explained, perching on the side of the bed and looking at him lovingly. Somehow, that made something snap inside of the usually chilled Beast Boy. He reached out to her, and touched his gloved finger to her lips.

"Wait right here, and don't say a word." He whispered. She shivered slightly at the touch, but nodded. With an inrush of air, Garfield changed into a fly, buzzing up and around behind the cameras that covered the Titan's medical ward, turning into a rat on top of each one and pulling out the cables. When the room was debugged to his satisfaction, and secure in the knowledge that the others would be too distracted to notice for a few minutes, he resumed his human form and approached Raven again, who still had the same adoring expression on her face. He took her hand, and helped her to her feet.

"Raven, I love you. I have for a long time. But…" She sighed happily and leaned in closer to him, and he politely but firmly pushed her face away from his own, even though he wanted nothing else more. Then he continued.

"But this isn't you. Even if no-one else believes something happened to you, I know what I saw. So, even if I might regret it later…What am I saying, I'm regretting it now…I'm not going to take advantage of you, or anything. I'm gonna find a way to get you back to normal, even if normal is where you don't like me. I owe you that much." He pulled her gently towards the ward's door.

"Maybe one of the books in your room has something that can help us." He said thoughtfully.

"Oh, Beast Boy, you're so kind, and brave, and thoughtful, and…"

* * *

Well, there we go. Chapter two! People thought it was good enough to carry it on, so I cracked right on and got the second chapter out in record time (For me.). My time is going to be a bit tight sometimes with University, my part time job, and generally being a procrastinating English-slacker type, but I'll do my best to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! Please review if you can, they reassure me that people are reading what I write and give me the boost I need to continue. Please criticize, too. We all have room for improvement, no? Next chapter – the quest starts in earnest!

Till then, Peace Out.

DC


	3. All's Fair

DC – Wow, chapter three. It seems like just yesterday I was writing chapter two…Oh, wait. It was yesterday. For someone who's made their excuses for infrequent updates, I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time working on getting the next chapter out…Thank you all for supporting me, and I hope you're enjoying the story.

Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans, and since I got evicted from Mumbo's hat, I've been living on the streets. Well, in a house, which is on a street. That counts, right?

**Chapter Three - All's Fair (In Love and War) **

Beast Boy's first port of call was Raven's room. Normally, he'd be cautious in the extreme about going in, but since the room's owner was holding his hand tightly and standing confusingly close to him, he wasn't so worried. Raven obligingly opened the door, and they entered. At least the room hadn't changed, thought the Green Teen. The sun still struggled to get in, and the room was still dark and foreboding. Beast Boy switched on the light, then switched it off again when he realised it had been painted black. Bookshelves dominated the walls, and where there were not books there was various arcane junk. Scrolls, pieces of tablet, statues of Ravens, strange jewels, an hourglass…Beast Boy focused on the books, and Raven perched on the edge of the bed.

"OK…" he mumbled. "Somewhere, in all these hundreds of thousands of pages, there has to be a book that says what's happened to you." He picked a book randomly from the shelf. "These hundreds of thousands of pages with tiny, tiny, cramped writing…" He winced, and put the book back on the shelf. Half the spines were blank, some had writing along them that he couldn't read, and a very small few were in English. This was going to be a lot harder than he had imagined it would be.

"Raven. Are there any books here about spells?" He asked absentmindedly.

Raven nodded and gestured at the walls. Fully half the books flew off the shelves, piling themselves around Beast Boy. He looked out of his impromptu book-fort.

"OK, I…think that helped. What about books with things that could make people feel stuff?" Raven waved her hand again, and the books rearranged themselves into smaller piles, as the unwanted tomes returned to their resting places. Beast Boy nodded thoughtfully. It did seem to be working. He frowned slightly, as he figured out how to phrase the next part without hurting the girl's feelings.

"How about…books with people that could do those things?" Pages fluttered, beating like dry wings as the books flew around him, their numbers diminished to just a dozen books.

"Books with people that are really real?" Six books.

"Cool." He kneeled, and scooped up the books. Some were pretty thick, but he reckoned he didn't have to read all of every single book. He carried them over to where Raven was perched on the edge of the bed, and dropped them onto the soft material. He didn't exactly feel comfortable, and being alone with Raven in her room near her bed wasn't helping his resolve not to do anything, but Raven was a lot smarter than him, and she probably knew the books like the back of her hands. The sooner they found something, the sooner he could help her get back to normal. He sat down near her nervously.

"So, uh, Raven, could you help me find them in these books?" He asked timidly. She nodded, and scooted up next to him. It was all he could do not to leap from where he sat and take shelter in one of the many dark corners of the room. She picked up one of the books, regarding it like an old friend, and Beast Boy realised it probably was. Raven usually cherished her privacy and her solitude.

"I'll help you look, BB. But…" She turned to him with troubled eyes, the candlelight glinting off the charka stone on her forehead.

"Yeah, Raven?" He asked, gently. He couldn't stand to see her looking so distressed.

"…You do love me, don't you? You aren't just trying to get rid of me, are you? Because…" She lowered her head, looking sadly down at the bed. Something tugged at Garfield Logan's heart strings, and he did something impulsive.

He hugged her to him tightly, soothing her distraught temperament with whispered words. He stroked her back, and once again he was surprised by how warm she really was. She held on to him as if she depended on it, and whilst he had envisioned it in daydreams, he knew that this was not Raven as she would or should be. He sighed, and tucked her hair back behind her ears.

"Raven, I love you. That's why I have to do this." He hated himself for what he was about to do. "Don't you trust me, Raven?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

"BB…Of…of course I do…" She stammered. She smiled again, and everything was once again alright. Apart from the bit where she was probably under some weird spell. She snuggled against him, he tensed a little despite himself, and she opened the book once again.

"Let's start with Mythical Beasts…"

* * *

Knowledge waved a hand experimentally in front of Raven's face.

"Hello?" Raven ignored her. Knowledge nodded thoughtfully, and jotted this down in a notebook. The dark-caped 'original' hadn't been any use since Beast Boy had confessed his feelings for Raven. Still, at least he had surmised that this wasn't a natural way for Raven to act, and was following the correct avenue of pursuit. He was smarter than she'd given him credit for…Knowledge shook her head firmly to shake such thoughts from her concentration. This twisted version of Nevermore was even starting to affect her own secluded sanctuary. Near the entrance, the twisted, rambling bookshelves were beginning to straighten and organise, and she could have sworn she'd seen a couple of Mills and Boone novels that shouldn't ever have been there. It was likely that the magical infection was taking a long time to penetrate her sanctuary because Knowledge, to use her most common name, wasn't technically an emotion. Raven had created her to act as an aide, a guide, the organiser and the keeper of the other half of her mind. She had three functions. To learn, to store, and to recall. Right now, she needed to recall. Knowledge closed her eyes, and removed her thick round glasses. Memory opened her eyes, and flew along the dark and brooding rows of books. Raven had read those six books, and like anything Raven had seen or read or thought or said or tasted or touched or smelled or heard, to name but a few, it was stored in here, the Library of Nevermore. And since she was currently filling her role as memory, she knew exactly where it was. She even had a fairly good idea of who had done this to her. She stopped at a section of shelf that seemed to the casual observer, in this case Laziness, to be no different to any other section of shelf. She plucked the memory of the book from it's resting place, and began to read out loud.

* * *

Beast Boy looked over at Raven inquisitively as she stopped reading out the book's description of Dryads, and began to leaf through the pages, looking for something.

"Raven, what've you found?" He asked, curiously.

"I've just remembered something from this book that might be what we're looking for…" she answered, thumbing through the dry and dusty sheets. She made a satisfied 'Hah!' under her breath, and triumphantly pointed out an entry that started halfway down the page.

* * *

The Hitman returned to his apartment, throwing his equipment down onto the sofa, and throwing his leather Jacket over the back of a chair. He flung himself into a free seat, and reached for the remote to his TV. That had been easier than he had expected. Probably a good thing he'd kept the suitcase. He channel-surfed for a few minutes, until an advert caught his eye, and he scoffed in disgust. A compilation CD by a famous music-production group, entitled 'Be My Valentine'. The cover art featured a chubby-faced little child in a loose toga, clutching a hopelessly anachronistic bow in his podgy hand. Small white wings sprouted from the shoulder-blade region, and looked about as aerodynamic as a sack of bricks.

He hated it when people felt the need to bring out the baby pictures. He'd grown up a lot since 700 BC. He flexed his large, broad shoulders, and clenched his tanned, scarred hands. Yeah.

* * *

"Cupid, otherwise known as Eros, otherwise known as Amor, is first documented in Ancient Greek literature from 700 BC, _Heriod's__ Theogeny._ He is the son of Gods, although which two Gods it actually was is contested by people with too much time on their hands. He is the personification of love, and has a bow and quiver of arrows. Anyone struck by one of those arrows will fall instantly and deeply in love with whoever they first see. Notable wielders of the arcane arts from both Azerath and Earth have seen him and his works, and often not that those he targets never know that they have been hit by the child-like God of Love." Beast Boy read. He marked the page with a bookmark, and nodded. "Sounds like the kind of guy we could be looking for." He remarked.

"OK Raven, we should get going before the others notice we're gone. I'm going to get a couple of bits from my room, you do the same, and I'll meet you in the garage."

"You mean it'll just be the two of us, beloved?" She asked, smiling broadly. Beast Boy hesitated. He had considered enlisting the others, but he wasn't entirely sure they believed him. Besides, this was something he wanted to do for Raven by himself. Love makes fools of us all, and stuff.

"Yes." He admitted. Raven sighed happily.

"How romantic…" she said breathily. He backed away towards the door before she could pounce on him again.

"I'll see you in ten, OK?" He said hurriedly, and darted into the corridor, walking as quickly as he could to his room. He felt bad about what he'd done to her in there, playing with her emotions like that. It felt like a betrayal. On the other hand, it had worked…And he could still feel her in his arms. He wasn't sure if that was normal or not, but at the moment it felt as if his brain was operating through a thick layer of pink fuzz. He grabbed a few essentials, and dumped them in a rucksack he kept under his bed before grabbing a pen and paper and scrawling a note for Cyborg.

"Following a lead to help Raven. If I'm not back in a week, back up my save games." He muttered under his breath as he wrote. It was important to get your priorities right in situations like this. He left the note on his bed, where Cyborg was sure to see it when he came looking, and checked that a couple of other things he needed were still in the rucksack where he'd left them before making his way to the garage.

* * *

In the main room of Titans Tower, Cyborg and Starfire were watching Robin anxiously, occasionally exchanging worried glances with each other. Robin noticed this with his Robin-senses of I-don't-have-any-superpowers-honest and frowned beneath his mask. Since he was wearing a mask and was facing away from them, this went rather unnoticed.

"I told you guys, I'm fine. I'm not going to freak out or anything." He grumbled, staring out of the bay window. Starfire hesitated, then stepped up to join him.

"It is not that we do not believe you, Robin. We are just…Septic when it comes to you and Slade."

There was an awkward silence.

"I think she means 'sceptic' Cyborg said eventually, but he got the distinct impression that Robin wasn't listening to a word he said. He was looking thoughtfully at the Tameranian Princess instead, his favourite hobby after fighting crime and brooding.

"Star…I know you've not lived on Earth your entire life, and some of our words and ways are still strange to you, but…"

"Yes, Robin?" The red-headed girl asked politely.

"Don't look, but does that cloud above the city bank look like Slade to you?"

Starfire turned instinctively to look for the cloud, only to be pushed to the ground by Robin, who had his hand over her eyes.

"Don't look!" He hissed. "He'll know we're onto him!"

Cyborg scratched his head. This was going to take a little more time…

* * *

Down in the garage, Raven waited for her Garfield, listening to her heart beating faster at the thought of the two of them together alone, away from the tower. Garfield was so romantic and sweet and brave, she couldn't believe she'd ever been so mean and sarcastic and rude to him and about him. She'd have to apologise about that to her green-skinned Romeo when she had the chance…She heard footsteps, and a familiar thrill when she heard his voice calling her name…She stepped out of the shadows and into his line of vision. He looked so dependable with that serious expression that she almost wanted to melt…He had a rucksack slung over one shoulder. She had only brought a few things herself, but had stored them in a pocket dimension for the convenience. He looked around shiftily, and took her by the hand.

"This way." He whispered, leading her towards the dark back of the garage where the broken gadgets and half-finished technology was stored. He led her around the back of the Cy-Cow Cyborg had built as a decoy when those flying saucers had been stealing cattle, and stopped by a shape covered in a white tarpaulin.

"Here we are." He said in a low, reverential voice, and pulled the sheet off dramatically.

* * *

DC – Chapter three finished! My eyes are burning, but it's stupid O' clock in the morning, so I guess it's my own silly fault. I wanted to get this chapter up now because I have a friend coming down to visit me and my housemates for the next few days, so I doubt I'll be able to work on the story until Sunday at the earliest. He's a good writer, so if you like Evangelion or Digimon, you could do a lot worse than to check out ArchangelUK. (plug, plug). Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed so far, it's really nice of you to do so. Let me know what you think of the latest chapter!

Till then, Peace Out!

DC


	4. Funky BPed

DC – Hey guys and ghouls, guess who's back in time for a Halloween update! Thanks for reviewing, I never expected this to do so well. I even love you guys who've put this on their favourites list without reviewing. Shine on, you crazy diamonds. Anyway, let's crack on, shall we?

Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans, but please contact me if you want to purchase a copy of _Starfire__ sings the Tameran Greatest Hits._ I'd especially recommend it if you enjoy the sound of nails on a blackboard.

_Sapphire Bullets 4 – Funky B-Ped_

_

* * *

_

The sheet slithered to the ground with a reverential whisper, and silver gleamed in the dim lights of the garage. Beast Boy smiled nervously at Raven.

"Well, what do you think?" The changeling enquired. Raven looked down.

The Moped was a dream. The cream finish had been restored, and it had been lovingly restored. She could just about see a few of Cyborg's improvements, too. She knelt down to take a closer look. She didn't know anything about bikes, but Garfield was obviously very proud of it. She nodded approvingly, as Cyborg often did after successfully fine-tuning the T-Car or another piece of gadgetry.

"This is what we're taking?" She asked, seeking confirmation in Garfield's wonderful eyes. He nodded, relieved that she seemed to approve of his baby.

"Yep, the Tidwell-3000 B-Ped." He knelt down, and pulled a spare open-face helmet from the box it had been stored it. He handed it to Raven, along with a pair of goggles.

"To protect your eyes." He explained. Raven had figured that much out for herself, but it was still sweet of him. From his own rucksack, he pulled his own helmet and goggles, strapping on the helmet and pulling the goggles over them, letting them rest against the hard fibreglass shell of the helmet as he took the bike off its stand and wheeled it to the doors of the garage. He took his scarf from the hook on the wall he had hung it on, and went to wrap it around his neck. He hesitated, however, glancing sidelong at Raven.

"You've not been on a bike before, have you?" He asked. She shook her head, fastening the clasp under her chin. He nodded, and walked over to her with the scarf.

"OK. There's no bar-grip at the back, so just remember to hold on to me, and lean when I lean. Don't worry, it's really easy, you'll get the hang of it." He reassured her, hanging the scarf over her shoulders, wrapping it around her neck and draping the free ends down behind her. Raven felt shivers buzz up and down her spine. Beast Boy looked at her nervously, and smiled, letting go of the scarf. He climbed onto the B-Ped and shuffled forward to give Raven more room. She sat behind him, the darkness of the cloak complimented almost perfectly by the pale colour of Garfield's scarf. She wrapped her arms around him. Beast Boy gulped, and thumbed the remote to the door. He turned on the engine, modified with Cyborg's help to be better than your average scooter engine. He revved the motor, and let loose on the throttle. The B-Ped hummed to life, and they were off.

Raven leaned against his back, nestling against him as the wind whipped around them, blowing her cape behind her, the wings of a bat out of hell. And like a bat out of hell, they were gone when the morning came.

* * *

Starfire watched them leaving from the roof of the Tower, waving at them as they left. They couldn't see her, what with her being behind them, many stories in the air, but it was the thought that counted. As they dwindled to a speck in the twilight, she turned around to Cyborg and Robin. 

"Are we certain it is wise to let them go on this journey?" She asked, drifting over to the two friends. Cyborg nodded.

"They can look after themselves. Besides, they both still have their communicators with them, so if they need our help, they can call for us. Meantime, it makes sense for us to stay here in case anything happens here."

"Mmm." Robin agreed through the duct-tape. Well, Starfire assumed he was agreeing. It was hard to tell at the moment. Cyborg had eventually had to restrain him with one of the most fiendish traps the Tower had, and had enlisted the princess's help in cramming Robin into The Bag of Sleeping. The camping supply was too tight for Robin to move much, and so the two of them had brought him up to the roof to teach him a lesson of sorts.

It involved the picture of a cloud, a picture of Slade, and at one point, it would have involved a piece of pipe if Starfire hadn't intervened.

* * *

The creation of Raven's mind known variously as Knowledge and Memory had opened the doors to her library, and now the shelves, normally quiet and still with the weight of experience, were full with the talk of the emotions. The library was swiftly turning into the last bastion of normality within Nevermore, insofar as such a word could be applied to the normally bleak, twisted landscape of Raven's psyche. Knowledge looked around. Normally, the emotions kept out of each other's way. By their very nature, they were often too different. However, confined as they now were to the largely unfamiliar domain of the library, it was possible to see groups emerging, tentative alliances being forged. Of course, if Raven needed them to, they would all come together like the parts of the whole that they were, but there was nothing more behind it than simple duty. But now… 

Happiness and Hope were clustered with Elation and Kindness. Pride had found a kindred spirit in Honour. Patience and Anticipation were trying to coax Shyness out of a dark corner with carrying degrees of success. Elation and Gratitude soared between the shelves. Love, Jealousy, Remorse and Amusement were sat discussing Garfield. Then again…Knowledge drifted upwards, surveying her domain .

In the far-away shelves, Sadness wailed between the rows, Anger fought with Bitterness, and Lust ran her fingertips along the spines of the books. Terror and Vulnerability walked hand in hand, and Disgust was brooding in a corner. And where the 'good' emotions were, there in middle of the group, standing in front of the blazing fireplace, was Rage. She stared intently at the flames, perhaps recognising within the crackling fire a kindred need to burn, to destroy, to reduce whatever it touched to ashes and charred ruin.

There was an inrush of air besides Knowledge, and she was joined by the 'Original' Raven.

"There are so many." She murmured, glancing around her. Memory nodded.

"When you start separating your emotions off from yourself, it's hard to stop. Even if you don't see them often, they're there." She said gently.

"Apparently so." Raven acknowledged.

"So, you didn't suggest I let them inside just to shelter them, did you?" Knowledge asked shrewdly. Raven shook her head slightly, pulling down her cowl.

"Not entirely. Somewhere in here must be answers that can help us shake off this spell, and with everyone in here looking for it, we might be able to find it faster." She explained. Knowledge nodded. She had expected as much.

"Well then, let's get this started." The yellow-caped girl suggested, the light glimmering off her glasses. Raven nodded and cleared her throat. The sound rang as loudly as thunder in the confines of the library, and all the emotions hovered up to a point where they could see the Blue-cloaked 'original'. All except rage, who stayed where she was, trying to outstare the fire. Raven let her stay where she was.

"Everyone, I need you to help me to help us…" She said quietly.

* * *

It was early in the morning before Beast boy pulled the B-Ped into a service station, and Raven welcomed the opportunity to stretch her legs. Meditation was fine, but the way she had to sit on the moped required the use of different muscles, and her legs were a little sore. She walked around the small area for a few short minutes, stopping only when she reached the clear view offered by the far side of the station's court. Since Jump City was on the coast, they had been rising slowly since they left. Now, she could look down from this higher vantage point and see Jump City as a large, glowing hub of lights. She thought she could almost make out the tower. The sun was rising as a murky orange ball, and she shielded her eyes. The door to the service station opened behind her, and Garfield emerged, whistling and holding a map. He laid it on a picnic table, and pored over it. Raven joined him, sitting down beside him. 

"Where are we going, Gar?" She asked, touching his arm. He flinched away from it slightly, then recovered. Raven would have felt sad, if she could ever truly be sad when she was around Gar. She knew he didn't believe her when she told him she loved him, that he thought there had to be some cause. But she had loved him longer than just a day and a half, hadn't she? Tender memories flooded into her mind, all the times she would dearly have loved to say something had she just _known._

_

* * *

And in Nevermore, Raven turned and glared at Love, who sat in a pile of books, reading memories aloud in a voice awash with feeling. _

_"Stop that at once." She hissed._

_

* * *

_

However, she was more than happy to go on this 'quest' with him. Eventually, he would see there was no cause, and she simply loved every part of him. It was quality time she had certainly missed out on having. She glanced over at the map of the nearby states, and Garfield made a triumphant cry and jabbed at the map.

"What did you find, Gar?" She asked, following his finger.

"Bryter Bay. The most romantic city in the entire coastal region! Sounds to me like target practise." He said triumphantly, and then yawned. What with one thing and another, he hadn't slept in what seemed like forever.

"We'll get there the day after tomorrow at the latest. Right now, we should sleep." Raven said gently, not wanting him to exhaust himself.

"Yeah., you're right." He agreed. "I'll go book us a couple of rooms. They should have some free." He yawned again, heading back to the doors. Raven carefully rolled up the map and smiled. It seemed like such a waste of money to use two rooms, when she was only intending they use one…

* * *

DC – Well, there we go, another chapter out. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, it really makes my day, so if you could see your way clear to doing it again, I'd be grateful. I could use some cheer right now, but that's by the by. Have a happy Halloween! I myself shall be trying to persuade Chavs not to throw bricks through our windows. Woo.

Peace Out,

DC


	5. Devil's Daughter In My Bed

DC – Crikey! Almost thirty reviews? This is like precious gold dust, thank you all so much. I know so far I've tried to keep this short, but today I thought I'd address a minor point. I've received a couple of 'helpful' notes from people, either in email or review format, telling me I'm misspelling words like 'sceptic', and I just thought I'd say I appreciate it, but I'm English, not American, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm spelling them correctly. Thanks for the heads-up, but I'm afraid you'll have to put up with my limey spelling. Anyway, that aside, thank you for reading, enjoying and reviewing, and I hope I won't disappoint you.

Disclaimer – Yeah, I owned Teen Titans once. But then I woke up and it was all a dream…OR WAS IT? Yes, it was.

_**Chapter 5 – Devil's Daughter In My Bed**_

"Well, night." Beast Boy said, yawning. He waved to Raven, who had a room two doors down from his, and closed the door. The rooms here were small and spartan, but all he really needed was somewhere to lay his head. He stretched, then turned himself into a cat and stretched again for pure satisfaction. He felt a lot better now that he was out on the road. Back at the Tower, it had felt like they were just sitting around doing nothing, but now he was out doing stuff to help Raven! True, he didn't know what they'd do if it turned out to be Cupid, and if he was where they thought he might be, but he really hoped something would come along. This kind of attention from Raven was exhausting and unnerving. It was like her whole personality was different, and she didn't even realise… He resumed his human form, climbed into the single person bed, pulled the sheets over him, and was asleep within minutes.

Raven, however, was not. The night was her domain, and she felt the gap between Garfield and her like a wound in her side. It was a gap she intended to close soon. She pulled her hood up to shroud her face, and glided through the wall, black ripples of energy washing outwards as she did so. She stepped through into the room between Garfield and hers, and there was a strangled shriek from the Hells Angel in the bed, who hastily stuffed a magazine under his pillow.

"Are you….Death?" Quavered the large hulking man, the small amount of face that could be seen between his thick beard and his long hair pale with fright. Raven shrugged.

"Sure. Why not." She said, deadpan. She didn't really care, but maybe it would shut him up. The mountain of bad attitude in the bed moaned quietly and pulled the covers over his head, promising vehemently that he would reform, change his ways, leave the bike gang, anything…Raven ignored him, and walked through the next wall. She could just make out Garfield's sleeping form. She drifted silently over to him, regarding her love's calm face as he slept. His long ears twitched occasionally, and he looked at peace. It occurred to Raven that perhaps, this was in some way the real Beast Boy. Asleep, he wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone, wasn't putting up a façade or a tough face. He looked at peace, and Raven knew that peace was not something any of the Titans were particularly accustomed to. He was curled up on his side, facing away from her. Smiling, she lifted up the sheets as gently as she could.

_Rage stared down the fire, paying the room around her no attention. Nevertheless, her lips curled into a satisfied sneer at Raven's horrified cry, embarrassed and enraged as the latest embarrassing incident the spell had gotten her into unfolded in the real world. Sooner or later, Raven would come to her. And then she would be free again._

_

* * *

_

The sun was high in the sky by the time Beast Boy awoke. He opened his eyes blearily. Light was filtering in through the unfamiliar blinds, but he was accustomed to sleeping rough, and he felt capable of dealing with the situation, even though it felt as if he'd been tangled in the sheets weirdly…There was a feeling of tightness around his chest, but he wasn't yet awake enough to deal with that yet. Really, the thing that had most caught his mind was his surprise at how warm he was. When he had looked at the thin sheets the night before, he expected them to be cold, and they had been at first…His mind wandered from topic to topic in the unconnected way that the mind does when it first wakes up. It kept returning, however, to the warmth and cosiness of the bed, and the strange pressure around his chest and back. He woke up immediately when his sensitive ears picked up a sleepy murmur from somewhere close behind him. As delicately and cautiously as he could, he looked under the covers, and whimpered a little. He had discovered the source of the strange tight feeling around his chest. It was a familiar pair of arms clad in a familiar blue fabric. He closed his eyes in the hope that it would help somehow, but the he could still feel the pressure, and now he wasn't using his eyes, he realised he could smell her. Sort of like violets. He was almost sure he could hear her heartbeat, slow and steady, masked beneath her breathing. He was well and truly trapped…Not that it wasn't nice, but that was exactly what was scary.

_I can't take advantage of her. I can't take advantage of her._ He repeated to himself over and over in his mind, hoping a way out from her slumbering embrace would present itself. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and grinned. There was a small inrush of air as the Changeling compressed himself down into a mouse, and a distressed squeak as Raven fell on him. A small Rodent nose wormed itself out from between the Titan and the Mattress, and Beast Boy took a deep breath of air. That hadn't gone as he'd hoped. If anything, he was more stuck than before. Still, he wasn't in any immediate danger of being crushed between the soft mattress and the soft, warm body. He squeaked, and closed his eyes. This was not what he should be thinking about. He tried to think about what they should do, but he couldn't focus for obvious reasons, and he consigned himself to waiting for Raven to awaken.

* * *

Back in Jump City, Cyborg breathed out with relief. At long last, it seemed as if they were making progress. Robin looked to his friends, to the sky, to the picture of Slade, and back to his friends.

"So you're sure Slade hasn't taken over the clouds to manipulate the weather?"

"Yes."

"And you're sure he hasn't taken over the clouds to unleash clouds of acid rain at people?"

"We are certain, friend Robin."

"…Or ot hide a giant fortress in the sky?"

"Yes. Again."

Robin nodded, as much to reassure himself as his friends.

"OK…." He said dubiously. Just then, his communicator bleeped. He flipped it open and glanced at the screen.

"Titans! Trouble!" He said, assuming that from those two words of command, the others would infer the nature of the trouble and where it was being caused, and run off accordingly. The fact that it worked and they did only complicates matters, really. Robin was the last one off the roof, as Cyborg beat him to the stairs and Starfire jumped off it. He paused by the stairs, and turned to look at the sky, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm watching you…" He threatened, then turned and ran to get ready.

* * *

Far, far away from either of these locations, there was an island, devoid of human settlement. Local legends on the other nearby islands claimed the island was haunted and dangerous. The active volcano didn't help matters, either. The beaches, however, were quite exquisite, and if you were looking for somewhere out of the way to recuperate from your recent losses, you couldn't pick better. Slade reclined on his beach chair, which was made of plain steel, under his beach umbrella, which was half black, and half dull orange. He looked up at the sky, a brilliant clear blue around the island, and at the storms ravaging islands further away, sweeping in from the sea.

"Hmm…Controlling the clouds…" He murmured to himself thoughtfully, then wondered briefly how he was meant to drink his Pina Colada through the mask.

* * *

After the embarrassment on both parties had been sorted out, Beast Boy and Raven left the service station, only to find a total lack of B-Ped.

"Dude! Someone took the B-Ped!" Cried Garfield, indignant. The young man sweeping the forecourt nodded casually.

"Yep. It gone done been took by a big guy, left early. Looked scared as all hell, if y'ask me. Said somethin' bout starting a new life. He left some stuff here, so if'n you want it, you can have it. Ain't none of us who can use it, and you're heroes, so…" He shrugged laconically, and indicated that they should go around the side of the building. Garfield stalked off, intent on finding some clue that would lead him back to his B-Ped, and then stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth all but hitting the floor, the heavenly choir practically ringing in his ears. It was sleek. A dream in chrome and black.

"What is it?" Asked Raven, nonplussed.  
"It's a Harley." Garfield said reverentially, as if he stood before the Holy Grail. Raven shrugged.

"A Harley Davidon VSRC Night-Rod bike…" Beast Boy breathed, kneeling down on his haunches to inspect the workings of the motorbike. "A liquid cooled, fuel injected V-Twin Revolution…Dual overhead cams, four-valve heads, two velocity stacks, 4-piston caliper brakes…" He ran a hand over the finish as if he was receiving divine blessing.

Raven had once picked up one of Beast Boy's Bike and Scooter magazines, but hadn't seen anything in it that suggested this kind of behaviour was standard. Boy's Toys, she thought, and smiled. As long as it made him happy. Beast Boy stood up slowly and deliberately. The keys were still in the ignition, and he used one of the other keys on the keyring to undo the padlock on the bike's saddlebags. He grinned savagely, and slowly pulled out a pair of sunglasses. They gleamed in the afternoon light, making the Changeling look even ore dashing in Raven's eyes. Slowly, he pulled out a black leather jacket, and pulled it on.

He had a Harley. There was an image to maintain. In the bottom of the saddlebag was a pair of sturdy leather boots, as he hoped there would be.

"Rock and roll." He said softly. He zipped up the boots, and clambered onto the bigger bike, Raven sitting behind him. He turned to the man in the forecourt.

"I'll be back." He promised. He revved the engine, and very bravely didn't scream at all when the bike roared off like a bolt of black lightning, careening across the mercilessly empty car park. The young man watched them leave, resting on his broom.

"Not something you see every day." He remarked calmly, and wandered back inside.

* * *

DC – And there we go, chapter 5. I just couldn't resist the last bit, sorry, but BB ended up with a Hell's Angel's clothes, boots, and motorcycle, how could I not? I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please remember to review. It puts a smile on my face and motivates me to continue. I actually think I'm starting to hallucinate through sleep deprivation, so I'll leave you here and say thanks for reading thus far!

Peace out,

DC


	6. Bad to the Bone

DC – Chapter 6, eh? Blimey. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed. I would have got this chapter up sooner, but I've been spending a little more time with my housemates down in the pub, listening to songs that make you wish you had a Harley. Moving on….

Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans, and nor do I own _Bad to the Bone_ by George Thorogood and The Destroyers. However, I do own the album rights to '_Block Rocking Beats'_, the first album released by DJ Slade and MC Disco Terra. Sweet deal, no?

**Chapter 6 – Bad to the Bone  
**

"We have a problem." She said. She and her colleague were once again sat in the small apartment of the world's greatest Hitman. The sofa was dirty and scattered with crumbs and packets as well as greases, oils, and various mechanical aids to the Hitman's trade. She was trying to sit on as little of it as possible, but it wasn't easy.

Cupid, also known as Eros, also known as Amor, looked at her quizzically from under a dirty blonde fringe. When he wasn't tying it back for a job, he favoured wearing it loose.

"Yeah? I did the job you asked me to do. If there's a problem, it's at your end." He said bluntly.

"And you did your job expertly." Miss…Jones said smoothly, taking care of the potential problem before it arose. "However, it has not gone as we had hoped, and now we want you to take care of it for a separate fee."

"Hmm. What's the problem?" Cupid asked, his honour satisfied. He leant back in his armchair and took a swig directly from the carton of milk he held in one large hand.

"You hit the target, and she fell in love with one of her team-mates. She's not really used her powers since the event, except to lift some books, and walk through a couple of walls which isn't a real threat. As far as we can tell, she's well on the way to using up the last of her reserves. Without access to her true emotions, she's effectively been cut off from the source of her powers." Mr …Smith explained. It wasn't entirely true, but it was simple enough for Cupid to understand. She didn't have a very high estimate of his mental capacity. Cupid's upper lip curled.

"Doesn't sound like there's a problem so far."

"This is the problem. Her team-mates have somehow figured out what's happened, and one of them is coming with her here, to Bryter Bay. Somehow they've tracked you down, and they're looking for a cure at the least."

"Tell me about the one with her."

"Beast Boy, a changeling. Green skin. By all accounts, he's in love with her anyway, so I don't understand why he's doing this….Anyway, we want you to deal with them." Mr …Smith explained, pushing yet another suitcase of money over to the world's oldest sniper. Cupid nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Fine. Now get out." He nodded towards the door, picking up his television remote again and thumbing it on. He'd do this his own way, in his own time. He made a mental note to clean his guns.

* * *

The hot, silent air of the nearly-empty highway was broken by the throaty roar of an engine, purring as the Harley ate up the miles.

"Danna Danna Da-Na!"

The powerful bike coasted forward confidently, swerving a little as Beast Boy compensated for the fact that he was rather young and rather small to properly control it. Still, there was an image to maintain.

"Danna Danna Da-Na!"

Raven rolled her eyes fondly, resting her head against Garfield's back. He insisted that this was one instance in which you had to get things as right as you could. He had the bike, the leathers, the shades, and the beautiful girl, and in those circumstances, how could you not have the music? Unfortunately, the Harley didn't come with a music system, so he was making do the best he could.

"Now on the day I was born, the nurses all gathered around!"

The sunlight glinted off his sunglasses, and his smile was triumphant. The trials and tribulations of this trip forgotten, he was living the dream.

"To gaze in wide wonder at the joy they had found!"

So what if he was on a mission without the support of his team-mates? So what if it was a mission based on hope and guesswork to stop Raven falsely loving him? So what if he was going out of his way to effectively crush his own dreams because it was better for her? Right now, everything seemed alright with the world. Right now, he was in the right mood to take on a God and win.

"The Head Nurse spoke up, said 'Leave this one alone!' She could tell right away, that I was bad to the bone!"

Raven wasn't sure what the attraction was, but she could tell that he was enjoying himself, and she made a note to find out more about it later. They shot past a signpost showing Bryter Bay. They were getting closer.

* * *

However, in the confines of Nevermore's library, it sometimes felt as if they weren't getting any closer to a solution at all. Raven sat in a deep chair by an old oak table, covered in scribbled notes and towers of books and bookmarks. She sighed softly to herself, and crossed and uncrossed her legs. She had been picking up the slack from her more contrary emotions, but so far, it wasn't looking too good. As far as she could tell, she'd never heard of anyone getting free from one of Cupid's spells. It was looking more and more as if they'd have to be relying on outside help on this one. The fact that the outside help was Beast Boy just made her all the more desperate. She closed yet another book with a dry snap of parchment, and reached for the next in the increasingly shorter stack of books that represented un-followed and untracked leads. Someone gently pressed the book back down onto the pile, and Raven looked up at Love, backed up by Affection, Friendship, and Hope.

"What is it?" She asked, tugging the book out from under the hand of her emotion. Since her imprisonment in Nevermore, she was beginning to resent giving her emotions independent voice.

"We'd like to take this opportunity to get you off your high horse and tell you what we've been talking about." Affection said firmly.

"After all, you're the blueprint. When we beat this thing, you'll be the one who leaves and recreates Nevermore. You'll be the outside Raven again." Hope supplied, firm in her belief that they could and would beat this thing. Raven wished she shared her optimism. She knew that she did, on some level, but that wasn't the point.

"So?" She asked icily. There was a rustling of cloth, and Timid stuck her head round from behind the others. Raven hadn't spotted her there.

"W-W-W-W-W-W…" Timid closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "W-W-W-W-"

"We…" Friendship prompted helpfully.

"R-Right. W-W-We t-think you should…know what you think about…" Timid glanced up at Raven's expression, went 'meep', and scuttled back into hiding. Love sighed and rolled her eyes theatrically.

"Raven, we think we should tell you what you think about Beast Boy, and since you won't admit it to yourself, yourself is going to admit it to you."

Surrounded by a ring of her own feelings, Raven thought that sounded strangely ominous.

* * *

The Harley pulled into the outskirts of Bryter Bay, and for the first time in a while, Garfield felt rather conspicuous. Apparently, Bryter bay was a perfect vision of suburbia. It nestled into the side of a gently inclined hill leading down to the bay, which glimmered in the light of the afternoon sun. Rows of neat little houses were fronted by neat little gardens, and even the few clouds in the sky seemed to be picturesque. Beast Boy felt very much out of place in his too-big leather jacket, on his too-big motorcycle. He didn't think he'd feel much better in his hero gear. Raven shifted uncomfortably in the seat behind him. Apparently, she could sympathise with that feeling. Garfield looked around desperately, and spotted what could be a more commercial area of town.

"There's probably a mall or something over that way. We should get disguises or something, we kinda stand out…" he laughed. Raven nodded, and tightened her grip on Garfield's midriff as the bike accelerated down the hill. The exhaust curled and hung in the air like a bad omen given shape as Raven's cape whipped in the slipstream like the wings of a demon.

* * *

Raven had to admit, it was a good idea. They both stood out far too much for any sort of subtle investigation, not to mention the recognition and embarrassment factors. Loathe as she was to admit it, the Titans were famous, and that made them celebrities of a sort. A disguise was going to help. The real question, what was she going to wear? Normally, she'd go straight for the darker shops, but she really wanted to wear something that Garfield would think was nice. Besides, reason alone told her that if she didn't want to be spotted, she'd be better off picking something not from her regular range. She frowned slightly. It was odd…she wanted to pick up something Garfield would like, but she'd just realised she had no idea what her love liked. She'd just have to play it by ear, something simple…

* * *

Garfield frowned. The problem with having green skin was, whatever you were wearing, people noticed it second. He figured the trick wasn't to wear something distracting, it was to conceal…He needed something people would ignore, pass over…Something where if they noticed anything out of the ordinary, they'd shrug it off… He grinned, and headed off with new purpose. He was meeting Raven in half an hour by the fountain in they mall they had found.

* * *

Raven loitered by the central fountain. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to sit down on the side, so she hung around awkwardly instead, inspecting herself in the glass front of a nearby shop. In the end, she had settle for slightly flared blue jeans, a pair of trainers, a white tee-shirt, and a bandanna to hide her rather obvious hair. Her skin was still pale, but there was nothing that could be done about that and she hoped she looked different enough to pass as someone other than herself.

"Raven? Is that you?"

So much for that idea. Raven turned around to confront the stranger who recognised her. They were almost entirely swathed in black. Black jeans festooned in metal links and chains, black boots, and a large black hoodie were the most prominent features. The figure's hands were thrust into the pocket of the hoodie, and the hood was up. It was slightly too big, and the figure's face was clothed in shadows, obscuring detail. The figure grinned, and an upturned fang shone in the corner of the figure's mouth.

"Garfield?" She asked tentatively, and was rewarded with a familiar and much-beloved laugh.

"Got it in one!" he said triumphantly. "Pretty cool disguises, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd have been taken in completely if I hadn't watched you both buy them." Said Cupid. At the interruption, they both turned around to stare at the stranger. The adult was tall and broad shouldered. Stubble grew on his chin, and his skin was tanned. He wore a tee-shirt stretched over pectoral muscles, and an open shirt over that.

"You've been looking for me. It's time we…talked." Cupid said in a low, gravely voice.

* * *

DC – Hey, a shootout at the mall! Wait, we've reached the end of the chapter…I guess you'll find out what happens next time. Thanks for reading this far. Please review if you like where this is heading, or if you don't…Either way. Oh, in other news, I've done a sadder little peace about Beast Boy called 'Brighter Side'. People seem to like it, so I'd like to see what you guys think. Peace Out! 

DC


	7. Lucky Number Seven

DC – Chapter seven! Cor blimey, guvner, shine yer shoes, apples and pears. Seriously though, it does an English lads heart good to see you're all enjoying my story. I'd just like to thank you all for being so supportive. This chapter, in what is probably a one-off occurrence, goes in a shout-out to IGAF-Kun, for rocking hard, and to Tammy Tambourine, for reviewing every chapter so far. Y'all got mad skills.

Disclaimer – Rrrroll up, rrroll up, see the one and only DC, The Man Who Doesn't Own Teen Titans! Marvel at his lack of ownership of copyrighted material! Step right up, Ladies and Gents! ….Anyone?

**Sapphire Bullets – Lucky Number Seven**

Raven and Beast Boy looked blankly at the man who confronted them.

"Uh…who are you?" Beast Boy asked. Raven simply glowered at the stranger for interrupting their moment. Her hand moved to intertwine with Garfield's. The stranger caught the movement and smiled cynically.

"You've been looking for me. The name is Cupid." He towered above the two teenagers, and he cracked his fingers together. The popping and snapping of bones sent an ominous shudder down Beast Boy's Spine, and Raven drew closer to his arm. It was pleasant, but it just reminded him why he was here in the first place. He looked up at the tower of muscle and attitude in front of him, ominous and unshaven. Somehow, it was a lot more intimidating than almost any super-villain costume. Johhny Rancid would kill to look like this guy did. Garfield mentally compared the hulking man in front of him to the little mental picture he had of a small tubby child with stupid wings and a poorly designed bow.

"You…you got big." He said flippantly. Cupid nodded, and a gold tooth glimmered in his smile.

"Yeah. I did. So, you wanted to find me? Well, you did it. What're you gonna do now?"

Garfield paused, and Raven looked at him expectantly, her arms around his waist. He flushed, embarrassed. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to get her to let go.

"I…I don't think I actually thought of anything past here…" He confessed. Cupid sighed.

"Figures. Come on, let's go get a drink."

"But…"

"No buts. You two, me, drinks, now."

* * *

Raven growled, and leant back in the chair.

"Fine, the sooner you tell me, the sooner I can get back to finding a way out of this fiasco." The circle of her emotions glanced at each other. Friendship spoke first.

"I think you're being too hard on Garfield. He's a good friend. He's always tried to be there for you, hasn't he?"

"He kissed me!" Fumed Raven. A dreamy look passed across Love's face.

"Yes, he did, didn't he?" She agreed dreamily, pressing her hand to her cheek. "And he said that he loves us…And he's trying so hard to cure us…"

"Yeah, it looks like he really planned ahead." muttered Raven sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"Don't be like that, I'm sure it's going to work out OK." Hope reprimanded her. "He seems pretty determined."

"Besides, you can't tell us you don't like him, or you hate him. Not here, not now. Not us." Affection smiled brightly.

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-We all know what you feel." Timid's voice came from somewhere behind the other emotions.

"You are what I feel." Raven pointed out.

"Exactly!" Affection pointed out triumphantly.

Raven closed her eyes wearily. Tricked by her emotions. This was normally exactly the kind of trap she couldn't allow herself to fall into…

* * *

Raven looked a little puzzled. There had been a momentary buzz at the back of her head, and then a dull, empty feeling where a reaction ought to be. Then she put it down to Beast Boy's breath on her neck. The very thought of it sent a pleasant tingle all the way down to the base of her spine. Cupid sat across the table from them, slouched back. He seemed almost embarrassed at her display of affection. But she got a bad feeling from the man, as if she recognised him. He had an aura…Besides, this was apparently the man Garfield had been seeking out 'for her sake', to cure an illness she didn't have! She very much wanted to be close to Garfield right now. She adjusted herself on his lap, and wrapped his arms firmly around her midriff, nestling against him.

"Yeah. That's one of mine." Cupid said sourly, nodding at her. Raven thought that was quite rude, but for the moment she was too content in her love's arms to do anything about it. "Sickening, isn't it? She wouldn't normally act like that, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's right…But…how did you know that?" Gar asked slowly, suspiciously.

"Kid, I'm two thousand, six hundred and seven years old. After a while, you get an eye for these things. Also, I'm a God, also I was watching your house for two weeks or something." He admitted. He picked up his coffee, the largest size offered by the café, and took a deep drink.

"So, the question you want to ask me is 'Can you take the spell off her?' am I right?" Before Garfield could even nod his head, Cupid shook his. "Sorry, but I can't."

Raven looked slightly smug, and leaned back against Gar.

"See? I told you there wasn't anything wrong with me." She said triumphantly. Cupid glanced at her.

"Of course there isn't." He said, soothingly, toying with his Styrofoam cup. "Love isn't an illness, it's not a disease, and it's a wonderful thing." In one abrupt motion, he crumpled the cup in his fist, the remnants of the coffee taking the path of least resistance and spraying into the air. "But I hate to tell you, however real it seems to you, it's fake. Whatever feelings you truly have for Greeny McWheely over here, what you're feeling now ain't your true feelings."

* * *

"How much do you really know about Garfield?" Friendship challenged.

"Well, I know his name's Garfield…He used to be with the Doom Patrol…He's, uh, green and he has that weird little fang and pointy ears…"

"Raven, anyone with eyes could have told me those last two. But what's his last name? Why did he join the Doom Patrol? How can he change into animals? How did he get his powers? Why doesn't he ever talk about his parents? Why does he put on that ridiculous act all of the time? Why does he still wear his Doom Patrol uniform? What's the difference between Garfield and Beast Boy?" Friendship delivered the questions rapidly, her eyes not leaving Raven's face. She struggled to keep up with the barrage.

"I don't know!"

"That's right. And I'm not saying that he'd tell you, but you never asked, did you?"

"No, we all respect each other's privacy."

"Raven, do you think he's someone that enjoys keeping everything inside? That's not the attitude of a recluse. He wants to talk to people, he wants to be there for people, and he wants people to be there for him, too. You were never there for him because it was easier for you not to get involved." Affection said, taking over.

"But…"

"No buts." Affection said firmly. Raven had never seen her like this before. She sounded so…protective. "He's one of the four people in the world who calls you friend. He's the only other person you know who knows what it is to keep a great darkness inside at bay, all the time. He's the only person who dares to try and cheer you up, and all you ever do is shoot him down. Why is that, Raven?"

Raven's mouth opened and shut as she tried to formulate an answer. Here, her emotions were powerful. Timid came to her rescue, familiar and sympathetic to her plight.

"We can't allow people to b-b-be close to us." She said quietly. "However much we cherish them we have to push them away, so they'll be safe…"

"And didn't that work so well when Trigon came? You tried to push your friends away and they pushed back harder than ever. They fought for you. They were willing to die for you…" Loyalty spoke up. Raven glanced around. They were drawing quite a crowd of spectators. She'd have felt embarrassed, if Embarrassment wasn't trying to hide under a bookshelf.

* * *

"How can you say that?" Demanded Raven, tears springing to her eyes. "I love Garfield with all my heart and soul! I always have and I always will!"

"I bet you hate Mondays, too." Cupid muttered under his breath. Raven carried on, unhearing.

"And so what if I only realised it recently? Does that make it any less real, less important? Even if someone forced me to admit it to myself, which they didn't, so what? All my life I've been alone, I wasn't allowed to express anything like this and now I can and I won't give it up for anything in the whole world!" She was starting to cry now, her chest heaving with barely suppressed feeling, and a black aura played around her where normally tables would break, glasses would shatter, tiles would crack, and people would be bodily hurled away. She took a deep, racking breath.

"Why can't I just-" Suddenly, she was bodily turned around, and Garfield's lips collided with her own, silencing her as he kissed her, a little clumsily. Her stomach played host to an entire colony of butterflies. It felt like someone had forcibly extracted all the bones from her legs. It felt like someone had connected her spine to one of Cyborg's power cells. After the short eternity that the kiss lasted for, she leant her head on Garfield's shoulder looking slightly dazed, her arms draped around him. She'd forgotten why she'd been shouting…

Garfield gave Cupid a slightly shamefaced look, his face flushed.

"Heh heh….I guess I'm a ladies man after all" He smiled a little, his arms still firmly around Raven. He felt bad about going against what he'd promised them both, but it looked as if she'd been on the verge of a breakdown, and it had been the first thing that came to mind. He glanced at her head, slumped against his shoulder.

"You know, it's going to hurt like hell when I find a way to get her back to normal." He murmured.

Cupid wasn't listening. He had been watching the table, and the anti-light show playing around the girl. He recalled what his employers had told him, and an intellect that had had almost three thousand years to develop started to wonder what it could mean…

* * *

DC – And there we go, Lucky Number Seven is done! I gotta say, I'm really very happy with this chapter, it just sort of flowed naturally. Don't worry, there's more to come. Once again, please let me know what you thought either way. Reviews are the grease on which the machine runs…That said, I could swear I've never seen reviews from half the people who have this story faved…;)

Peace Out,

DC


	8. Chemicals Between Us

**Sapphire Bullets 8 – Chemicals Between Us**

DC – You know, writing this seems a bit premature. At the time of writing, I still won't be able to update the story for another two days, but on the other hand, I really want to. Thank you all for the theoretical support you'll possibly give me by potentially reviewing the preceding chapter, which isn't yet out…

**Disclaimer:** And here we see one the only DC's known to remain in the wild. The DC is an ambling creature, notably rarer than the common or garden Coupling Shipper, and is famed for not owning the cartoon _Teen Titans_ …

**Sapphire Bullets 8 – Chemicals Between Us

* * *

**

Love had swooned. It was really rather amusing. Rage had made every effort to throw up in the fireplace, but Raven didn't let that get to her, as she knew it was precisely what Rage would have hoped for. All her emotions reacted in different ways, some changes subtle, some not. Knowledge merely smiled, and watched the shelves expand to deal with the flood of new information and recorded feeling that one short moment had provided. If she was any judge, and to be fair she was, this would be a memory often returned to. Raven herself had her fingertips pressed to her mouth, her expression unreadable and her ears bright red. That seemed like a fairly good indication of what the overall opinion of the emotions had been. She leaned in close to the 'original' whilst the emotions lost themselves in what they did best, and spoke quietly in Raven's ear.

"See? That wasn't all that bad, was it?"

"He…kissed me. And not even a little that time," She murmured, astonished. Memory nodded, smiling a little.

"I'll let you dwell on that one." She said, and stepped back to allow Raven some space.

Raven nodded a little, staring into the middle distance. She didn't care what some of her emotions would say. Emotions are notoriously fickle, after all. But now, she knew what she was going to do when she was herself again. A fantasy ran wildly through her mind. She'd walk up to Beast Boy and she'd…She'd reprimand him for invading her personal space like that. Raven sighed. She liked Beast Boy more than she let on. A lot more, and here she had been able to accept it. In spite of his jokes, in spite of his insistence that she get out of her shell, in spite of his constant interruptions…She loved him for the very same reasons. Well, possibly not for the jokes, but for the nigh-on unshakeable optimism. But it wasn't as if it mattered. Raven Roth couldn't often have what she wanted. She'd push Garfield away just as she always had, and even though Trigon had come and gone, and the part of her that was the portal was gone, she was still half-demon. Her feelings still had to be controlled, just in case. The truth was, she didn't even know if she could change her ways now, even if she wanted to…

* * *

Slade didn't nod in satisfaction. He wasn't that sort of man. On a small table to his side sat a thin, curved piece of slate-grey metal. There were six marks evenly spaced along the crescent moon-shaped surface, each a separate colour. One red as an arid, sun-baked desert. One a deep, deep green, reminiscent of a monsoon. One a stark, frozen white. One light blue that captured the rushing wail of a wind. One grey, almost indistinguishable against the metal, the colour of a fierce storm cloud. One the gritty yellow of a sandstorm.

It was almost complete. Slade looked out calculatingly from behind his mask, his expression giving nothing away as he considered what else had to be done.

"Controlling the weather." He murmured. He sounded almost amused. Almost.

He reached down for the curved metal object. A few finishing touches…Taking hold of his art palette, he dipped the end of his brush into the green and brought it up to his canvas, giving some of the waves greater depth with a few simple strokes. He stepped back to view his work.

The canvas showed Titans Tower at night. Waves crashed against the shore of the island, lights flickered in the windows, and in the background, the city burned.

It wasn't bad, and it had been an interesting exercise in capturing the motion of the storm, but on balance, he thought the one he had painted earlier of the kitten looking out of the old boot was better.

Almost as an afterthought, he reached behind him and pulled the main lever on his weather-control machine, which, being a genius, he had completed several hours ago.

Clouds gathered together, and raced off across the sky at their master's bidding. This looked to be interesting…

* * *

"That's interesting." Cupid mused, apparently existing in some strange parallel to Slade. Beast Boy looked up at him, curiously. He'd been distracted by a maudlin moment of imagination, focusing on how the likelihood of Raven tossing him out of a window when she was herself again.

"Huh?" he asked.

"My contractors told me your friend there shouldn't be able to use her abilities like this. But that little display just then shows they might be wrong. She doesn't deal with her emotions in the same was as most mortals, does she?"

"No way." Garfield leaned forward as conspiratorially as he could with the person he was whispering about sitting on his lap, and put his hands over her ears. "They have bodies." He confirmed. Cupid looked confused.

"Well, I accidentally ended up in her mind once, and there was all rocks and trees and little birds that I thought were all 'Awww!' when they turned out to be all 'Aaaagh!', and standing on the underside of the floor and all different versions of Raven that turned out to be her emotions and this big red dude with four eyes who looked like her dad." He said helpfully. Cupid looked confused, only more so. Garfield tried again.

"See, her dad is Trigon, and-"

Cupid whistled, impressed.

"Trigon? That explains a lot. Why I can't see inside her head, for one thing. He's a big time player, isn't he?"

"Yeah. This one time, he destroyed the entire earth."

Cupid looked around at the bustling mall with its happy couples and families and screaming children.

"Interesting if true." He said politely.

"He did! But then Raven fixed it so he didn't, or something…Hey, if you're real, why didn't you guys help with that? We could have used the help." Cupid paused, trying to find a way to explain a rather complicated idea in such a way that it would fit in Beast Boy's head.

"We exist on a different spectrum of plausible reality to Trigon." He tried. Garfield's ears drooped a little, and he gave Cupid a puzzled, helpless look.

"Um, OK…Do you like the radio, kid?" Cupid asked. Beast Boy nodded, waiting to see where this was going.

"Well, imagine us Gods are like radio waves, OK? Us Earth Gods are where we're meant to be, and we don't need to go anywhere else. So we're one frequency. Trigon is from a whole other reality, and since he wants to cross over and control, he's an entire frequency all by himself, and it drowned us out. You see?"

"I…think so, yeah." Beast Boy said guardedly. Cupid nodded and leaned back, crossing his arms.

"That's why we couldn't help. Anyway, we're getting off topic. If glimmers of your friend's powers are getting through, there might be a chance she can break free."

"Would you stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?" Raven asked politely. "I can hear everything you say."

Garfield looked at her, agog.

"But I put my hands over your ears!" he exclaimed. Raven looked at him fondly.

"Yes, you did, and it was very sweet, but that doesn't actually work too well in real life." She said gently. Garfield looked at her quizzically.

"No offence, but I thought you'd be madder." He said, and flinched a little as she brought her hand up to his face, cupping his cheek, which was somewhat worse.

"After that? I don't think I can be…Besides, the sooner we try whatever it is you want to try, the sooner you'll see it doesn't work because there's nothing wrong with me." She said reasonably. She looked over at Cupid, dislike plain on her face.

"What's the plan?" She asked.

* * *

Over in Jump City, Robin was on the roof. He had temporarily exchanged his Robin suit for a looser martial artist's gear, which was a little cooler in the heat of the evening. He went through his _kata_ perfectly, kicks, punches, and postures all seamlessly integrated into a single fluid motion. He'd been under a lot of stress lately, and he found that this was a good way to calm down, let his mind unwind. He'd had the others on edge recently with the whole 'Slade controlling the clouds' nonsense. It was nonsense, pure and simple. So what if Slade was missing, and had been ever since Trigon's defeat? So what if they had no idea where he was or what he was planning? So what if he could be in any shadow, any dark corner, lurking, _lurking, always watching and listening and waiting and… _

"It's good to see you're practising, Robin." A voice from behind him said. Robin suppressed a girly shriek, and spun around in a perfect combat position. Cyborg looked at him quizzically.

"Did I surprise you?"

"Not at all." Robin lied coolly, relaxing. Cyborg nodded, but it looked like he was distracted by something behind Robin. Something in the sky.

"What is it?" Robin asked, looking around. Dark clouds were blooming on the horizon.

"Looks like there's a storm coming. You should come inside soon, OK man?"

"Sure thing, Cy." He agreed, doing his best to put thoughts of Slade out of his head as the clouds gathered behind him…

* * *

DC : Trouble at home, eh? With any luck, there's going to be a tower for Raven and BB to come home to in style. Unless I get bitten by procrastination demons, things are going to start coming to a head in the next chapter of Sapphire Bullets, so watch out! Sorry if this chapter was a bit off, it's one of those 'get things established' things. Also, you might have noticed that I've started using song titles and lyrics as my chapter headings. If you can tell me what they are and who they're by, I might get you something special…

Peace Out,  
DC


	9. Black Magic Woman

**Sapphire Bullets 9 – Black Magic Woman**

**DC** – Went for an obvious title this week… Anyway, thanks for all your support. In other news, much like Stan Lee, I've decided to Cameo in my own work. It'll be like where's Wally, (Sorry, Waldo to you in America) only you don't know what Wally looks like. Also, I've done the ton! One hundred reviews! I never believed this little project of mine would do so well…Thank you all so much.

**Disclaimer**: Copyright Ownership and Time Travel don't mix. I mean, if they did, I could have stopped the Time police from going backwards to make sure I'd never owned Teen Titans…

**Sapphire Bullets 9 – Black Magic Woman

* * *

**

Storm clouds congealed over Titans Tower, boiling and churning like some eldritch monstrosity. Thunder and Lightning tore the sky and shattered the air, basically having enormous fun. Rain lashed down and Robin glared up, soaked to the bone in his light robe. In facing down the storm, he told himself, he could once and for all conquer his obsession with Slade. As the storm faded and cleared, so too would his obsession. Lightning flashed blindingly, but he didn't blink or look away. A part of him tried to make the point that standing on the top of a very large tower in the middle of a torrential storm at night in thin clothes on an island surrounded by salt water wasn't the brightest idea he'd ever had. It was almost up there with the timeless 'I don't care what it's built for, it's going into space' thing. But part of being an obsessive meant that he was now obsessed with the idea of not being obsessed with Slade, and his self-preservation instinct was silenced. A small rain cloud formed over Robin's head, adding it's torrent of water to the downpour. Starfire looked out from the cover of the stairwell, confused.

"I was not aware that the weather on this planet acted in such an unusual fashion." She said, fascinated. Cyborg rubbed his head.

"It doesn't normally, Star." He admitted. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Then should we not help our friend and inform him?"

"No way. Robin needs this, I think, and I'm not telling him it shouldn't be acting like this. He'd flip out. Again. Come on, let's go inside and wait for the storm to clear."

* * *

"I didn't think this would be your kind of music." Raven said sarcastically. Her continued acquaintance with Cupid hadn't improved her impression of him. Beast Boy shrugged, trying to patch at least an uneasy peace between the two of them. "I dunno, Raven…I think it fits." He said diplomatically. It wasn't his kind of music either, but he could see the appeal to someone like Cupid… The God shrugged, his large frame awkwardly hunched over the small round table.

"You try doing my job for two thousand years and not getting slightly cynical, kid." He retorted. Ordinarily, Raven would have taken offence at being called 'kid', but Garfield seemed to want them to at least try and get along, so she was doing her best to keep a civil tongue in her mouth. Instead of saying anything, she leaned back in her chair and listened to the music being played on the small stage area of the underground room. It drifted through the air like smoke, which also drifted through the air. She tried to breathe shallowly. The dull throbbing notes of the double bass thudded in the enclosed space. She could feel it coming up through the floor. In contrast to the deep, slow notes of the bass, the notes of the piano darted and tinkled like reflections of the sun in a dark pool. In the middle of the stage, a man stood on a stool, an old acoustic guitar hanging on a faded strap around his neck.. He strummed out a few chords, and reached for the Microphone.

"How y'all doing. That first one was the Love in Vain Blues, and this one's the Based Directly On The Author Only I Can Play a Guitar Blues." He nodded his head in time to the music and began to play. Raven sat there, her arms crossed in her chair, as the music flowed through the small room. Over time, however, she found herself listening…It was…interesting. It struck the right chords within her. She could understand it, comprehend the message of loss and hopes birthed and broken or snatched away. The unspoken message of the music rang out like a clear bell, an outpouring of pain, a life-time of suffering and being ground down, but at least you were alive. She could empathise with it. Sighing, she leaned forward, slumping over the table and resting on her elbows. Beast Boy had his head back, and was looking at the ceiling as if it wasn't there, caught up in his own private vision of defeat and standing up afterwards, broken but alive. Cupid nodded, his eyes closed, and slammed back the drink he'd bought at the bar. It was Jack Daniels, because, much like The Thing With The Motorbike, some things have to be done properly. He put the empty glass back on the table softly and nodded.

"Now, that." He said in a self satisfied manner, albeit under his breath. "Is the blues."

* * *

In Nevermore, plans were being made. Lines were being drawn, and the emotions were organising themselves as best they could. Soon, the great doors of the library would be thrown open, and they would re-enter the saccharine sweet garden that now represented Raven's Mind. The Great Plan was in the works. As for Raven herself, she sat and meditated within her own mind.

* * *

After the club, which they had been politely asked to leave since both Garfield and Raven were underage, which Cupid had apparently forgotten, they elected to walk back through the town to Cupid's apartment. He didn't normally hang out with anyone under the legal age. Then again, he didn't normally hang out with anyone, being the world's premier hitman and all.

Garfield looked up at Cupid, Raven nestled into his side.

"Why are we waiting?" He asked, curiously. "I mean, now we know what might work, why couldn't we do it there?" Cupid looked at him penetratingly, and Garfield felt like his mind was being read. But it probably wasn't, he hoped.

After what seemed like forever, Cupid spoke.

"It's not the sort of thing you can do just wherever. It'll draw too much attention to you, and remember that I said I'd been hired. Attention ain't something you want. Besides, I wanted to give you time to think about it."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"I know how you feel about her."

Beast Boy looked at him, about to ask how, but then realised it was actually pretty obvious what with him being Cupid, also known as Eros, also known as Amor, probably not also known as Mr Cuddles.

"Think about it, kid. That stuff is one hundred and ten percent pure, factory grade love. She's still her, only she can freely return your love without destroying everything in sight. If you let this go, it's all going to go back to how it was. It'll probably crush you to lose it, too. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Now, it was Garfield's turn to be silent. Cupid watched him intently, and Raven waited with baited breath, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes closed.

"…Yeah." He said finally. "I gotta, really. It's not right otherwise, you know? I mean, maybe it is love, but it's not hers. It wouldn't be fair. I mean, it's been real nice, and stuff, lotsa fun, but…" He trailed off, and grinned, embarrassed. "I'm not even sure what I'm saying anymore." He confessed. Cupid nodded thoughtfully.

"S'OK. I think I do. And I think you've made the right choice." He said, indicating a doorway to them that presumably led to his apartment.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Slade was making his way back into the United States on his private boat. The Titans didn't know about it, but what the Titans truly knew of Slade could be written on the back of one of Cyborg's microchips in bold. He watched one of his monitors in interest. Occasionaly, a small 'heh' would escape his mask. The screen flickered as the live feed filtered through. Robin was being chased around the roof of Titans tower by a small thundercloud no bigger than a pillow hovering over his head. Slade delighted in testing Robin, true, but sometimes it was simply amusing to watch him run around pouncing at shadows. It kept him on his toes, stopped him from loosing that paranoia. And soon after his ship docked in Bryter Bay, he'd be back to test Robin and the Teen Titans in person…

* * *

DC – It's all coming together now, isn't it? We're moving into the final few chapters of Sapphire Bullets, so soon I'll be working on other projects…Possibilities include the obligatory Christmas story, so keep your peepers peeled, duckies…(Hint, hint) Anyway, thanks once again for reviewing, even if you didn't. It's OK to be scared. :P

Peace Out.

DC


	10. Everything under the Stars

**Sapphire Bullets 10 – Everything Under The Stars**

DC – …Fine, you win. Peace in, all. Anyway, we're reaching the end of Sapphire Bullets in two chapters or so… When you're done here, why not check out pages of some of the other reviewers? I've been doing the same thing when I can, and I've had some very pleasant surprises.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, and the last time I coveted sparkly treasures I accidentally summoned Yog-Soggoth, and let me tell you, Lovecraftian horrors make you wish you'd been sued instead.

**Sapphire Bullets 10 – Everything Under The Stars

* * *

**

Cupid ushered the super-teens into his apartment. Raven looked around in disgust. It was a tip. Clothes were strewn around the floor and over the surfaces, empty takeout boxes were everywhere, and the air smelled like someone had decided it would be a good idea to fry a goat. Magazines and mechanical contraptions were scattered everywhere, and the floor surface varied between 'crunchy' and 'sticky'. She hadn't seen anything so terrible since…

Beast Boy looked around in surprise, an oddly nostalgic feeling welling up inside his chest.

"Dude, it's just like my room back at the tower!"

"Great, isn't it?" Cupid grinned. "Take a seat on the couch, sitting down might be a good move."

Raven observed the floor cautiously, trying to map out a 'safe' route to the sofa. She wasn't too certain it was possible. She gasped in surprise as an arm swept around her shoulders, then its twin buckled her knees and swept her off her feet. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the shoulders of the person holding her so she didn't fall, glancing over at him and blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Beast Boy?" She whispered quietly, not quite believing it. Her green-skinned heart-throb looked at her and grinned.

"Allow me." He said gallantly, stepping over a pile of laundry that seemed ready to scurry after them itself.

It was almost an art form, the way he navigated the cluttered, terrible room. His footsteps never faltered. Somehow, he knew where to step and where not to step, what piles were safe, and which ones would surely send them slipping to their doom. He majestically brushed the sofa clean with a sleep from his foot, alighting her safely on the soft surface. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her cheeks were flushed, but her curiosity peaked through the growing cloud of sheer contentment inside her, and the question slipped through her teeth before she could bite down on it.

"How…did you do that?"

He shrugged modestly.

"After a while, it just sort of comes naturally to you." He admitted, not knowing that he was on the verge of a majestic secret, that all messy rooms are mere reflections of the Divine Messy Room where whoever created the universe dumped all the stuff they didn't need in the end, and all who live in such environments share an unspoken bond that allows them to instinctively know where stuff is in any given messy room even if they've never been in them before in their lives, how weird is that, and who created this system in the first place, it's distinctively unfair when you think about it really but that's the way it is and if it wasn't the way it is it wouldn't be the way it is, so why worry about it?

Cupid made a mental note to see if it was possible to make the Divine Secret thing just a little bit shorter, then navigated over to the sofa himself.

"Right. Let's get this show on the road." He said. Garfield nodded, and sat down next to Raven. His stomach was churning. This was it. The end of the road, the final level of the game, the finish line, the …other metaphor he couldn't remember because of nerves. He was reminded of when he'd had to leave Terra in the cavern. Then, as now, doing the right thing sucked. He looked over at Raven, smiling a little nervously, she returned his gaze with confidence, squeezing his hand.

"You'll see." She said reassuringly. "We'll go through with this little plan, and you'll see it's not a spell or anything like that, it's just me being me. I love you, BB."

He flinched a little and looked down, surprising himself a little and Raven a lot. He wished she wouldn't keep saying that, it just made it worse.

"I love you too, Rae." He said honestly, and it felt like the words were cutting his throat to ribbons. "Are you ready for this?"

Raven nodded. "Good thing I always pack it for extended trips." She said, pulling her sleeve up her arm and making an arcane gesture. Nothing happened, and she came close to making an obscene gesture, but she frowned instead.

"This normally works." She muttered, as much to herself as to the room. Cupid leaned in close to Garfield as Raven made the gesture again and again, with no results.

"This is bad." He said quietly. "Remember I said that the plan was to make her loose her powers? If she can't access it, I don't know what we can do."

Garfield gave him a worried look, then turned to Raven, who was half turned away from him, trying again and again, not sure why her power was failing her. He put his hands on her shoulders, leaning close to her.

"Come on, Raven. You can do it. Take your time." He said encouragingly. The door buckled, snapped, and fell to pieces, and a woman in a suit stepped through the door, her hand curled into a fist.

"Unfortunately, Beast Boy, you're out of time." She said, a sinister grin plastered over her face. A taller man stepped in after her, and if you looked at him in a certain light, his skin seemed to shine in a most unnatural way. Cupid shot to his feet, stepping between the strangers and the super-teens.

"Gar, take Raven into the bathroom, look after her. Raven, keep trying." He ordered, cracking his knuckles slowly. Beast Boy nodded, not a little scared, and grabbed Raven's free hand, edging back towards the far side of the room. The sitting room was eerily silent as the standoff continued. The silence dragged on for an eternity. Until Beast Boy and Raven reached the bathroom and locked it behind them.

Beast Boy sat Raven down on the toilet seat, kneeling in front of her.

"Come on, Rae, try and use your powers! Bring it here!" He urged gently. She was staring at her hand, dumbfounded.

"I can't, BB…I can't…" She moaned, distraught, as the one thing she had always relied on was somehow ripped away from her…

* * *

"This is bad." Wisdom said calmly. Raven looked at her, confused. It wasn't like Wisdom to state the obvious like that. They had left the library in preparation for the Great Plan, and now she and her emotions were picking their way across the sickly pink fields of Nevermore There were more of them now than there had ever been. Now that she had effectively lost control of her own mind and body, Knowledge had explained, there was no regulating force on The Emotions, and each separate distinct emotion had begun to split off from the original seven, subdividing and subdividing until it now seemed to Raven that she was marching in a small army.

"Which specific bad thing are you talking about here?" She asked, in a voice she considered reasonably calm under the circumstances.

"If our body cannot access our powers, and we can't reach it, the Great Plan will fail. It's entirely possible that we'll be stuck like this forever."

Raven shook her head.

"I won't let that happen. The others won't let it happen, either." She said, firmly. There was a low, sinister chuckle from behind her, and she turned to confront the red-caped Rage.

"And how will they help us? It's out of everyone's reach but ours." She reminded Raven nastily.

"Shut up." Raven snarled, and Rage smiled widely, the white of her teeth glimmering in the darkness of her hood.

"Getting angry, Raven? Tut tut…"

Raven whirled around, ignoring Rage and trying to force down her old anger. When she had regained her centre, she glanced over the corner of her eye to see if Wisdom was still there.

"Is she gone?"

"She appears to be stealth-killing squirrels and fluffy bunnies." Wisdom reported, and Raven smiled, despite herself.

"Good. At least she's distracted now. How is it she's so strong now?"

"She hasn't actually gotten stronger. But of all of us, she's managed to keep hold of the most fractions of herself." Knowledge interjected from nearer her. There was a blur and a flicker, and suddenly Knowledge was standing next to Memory. They looked at each other, confused and appalled, and gripped hands.

"It's getting worse." Wisdom said quietly. Raven nodded thoughtfully.

"But I think I have a backup plan." She said slowly.

* * *

"Going back on our deal, Cupid?" Miss…Jones asked maliciously.

Cupid drew one of his super-emergency back-up pistols from the back of his jeans, and fired twice. There was no way he could miss.

"Let's just say I made a moral call." He shrugged. "Now, do you two lovebirds want to go find someplace to be alone?"

Miss…Jones grinned, moved forward with the speed of a snake, and slammed the God up against the wall so hard that it shattered. Plaster rained around his feet.

"Sorry, Cupid…You can't fall in love if you don't have a soul." She crowed, and brought her hand up to the sunglasses that covered her eyes. Or at least, where her eyes would have been if there wasn't merely an empty void there.

"We'd really have preferred to end this peacefully, but since you wouldn't go along with our sabotage, we'll have to do this the old fashioned way, won't we?"

She bunched her hand back into a fist, and swung.

There was the sound of shattering bone.

* * *

**DC – To Be Continued! Soon, probably! The recent delay in production was down to coursework deadlines, but happily it's all done now, so expect the next chapter in a mere few days! Thanks for your continued appreciation and support, and I'll see you next time! **

**Peace Out, **

**DC**


	11. The Bright Side of Life

**Sapphire Bullets 11**

**DC** – Well, here we go…The second to last chapter! How did we get so far, eh? Well, I don't think we're going to break the 200 review barrier (But please, try to help prove me wrong by all means) but what the heck, it's been a real blast so far. Anyway, here we go!

**Disclaimer **: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, you can be sure there'd be more sophisticated discussions on the state of the world economy, that's for sure! Smokes pipe

**Sapphire Bullets 11 – (Always Look On) The Bright Side of Life

* * *

**

There was the sound of breaking bone. Cupid grinned at Miss…Jones disarmingly. She frowned and rubbed her knuckles. Cupid watched with mild interest as the bones reconnected and mended beneath her skin, and looked at her quizzically.

"Perhaps I got carried away in the moment." She said grudgingly. "Mr…Smith, perhaps in future you should perform the violence against our immortal friend here."

"Suits me fine." Mr…Smith said, grinning strangely, the glow around his skin growing more pronounced until he was covered in a coppery nimbus. He raised his palm towards Cupid, and an intense agony tore through the God. To the ancient personification of love, the concentrated blast of madness and hate was indescribable.

He staggered, sagging against the wall, and wiped his brow, sweating.

"Not bad, pappy sunshine. Now, how about you tell me who you are and what this is all about, hmm?" he croaked. Miss…Jones shrugged.

"Why not? It's not as if it will matter, soon. We belong to a group called The Talons of Trigon. We were the executors of his will on this plane of existence. He gave us powers, and prestige, and other such benefits, an exchange in which we quite happily gave up our souls. What's a soul, really? It's a small price for what we'd have gained. But it didn't last, because that child in there, against all the odds, was somehow able to banish Our Lord from this plane of reality. She lost nothing, and we lost almost everything. Don't get any fancy ideas, please." She said politely, the last part addressed to Cupid, who had been staggering to his feet. Mr…Smith raised his palm again, and Cupid was thrown back to the floor

"But isn't it interesting? Raven kept all of her powers after he was banished, after her function as the portal was over with, after she renounced him utterly. Trigon still lives on here through us, and through her. He wants a sacrifice, Eros, and we intend to give him one. We couldn't get her normally though, which is why we got you involved. Without her powers, we could get her easily since none of the other Titans stand a chance. But it didn't all go to plan, did it? You had to make a moral objection to being paid to do you job…Really, it was most displeasing. But I'm sure we can recover our losses right here, right now. And have some good old-fashioned revenge while we're at it, too." She finished, smiling elegantly. She frowned. "You know, all the talking made my throat quite dry. Mind if I have a drink?"

"Help yourself. Everyone gets a last request."

"My my, you certainly are spirited, aren't you? But I'm afraid all your bravado is quite, quite empty. Mr…Jones?"

* * *

The apartment wasn't big, and Garfield's senses were good, very good. He heard every word, and he couldn't stay here. He glanced over at Raven, more frantic than he'd ever seen her before. He dug into his pocket and took her hand, pressing his communicator into her palm.

"Rae, get the others. And…uh, stay safe, OK?" He said quietly, soothing her, rubbing her arms. The call of the pack was strong within him now, at the verge of a fight. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck tingling and shifting. He was a physical person, and now, the baying of the wolves was strong in his ears. It was only a wonder he wasn't nuzzling her and whining. He wondered if he'd see her again. If this would be it, the one he didn't walk back from. There was always a possibility, but somehow this time it seemed more real. He kissed her forehead gently, then rose, turning for the bathroom door.

"Gar? What's going on? Where are you going?" She asked in a small voice on the edge of hearing. He paused, considering what he wanted to say to her in case he never saw her again.

"Stay safe, Raven." He said, then tried to remember what that explorer guy said when they did that arctic thing and he sacrificed himself to help his friends stay alive or something, it was a cool movie, but…ah, that was the line.

"I'm going outside. I may be some time." He said, a sad little smile playing around his face. The click of the door closing behind him was the loudest, saddest, most hollow sound she had ever heard, punctuated moments later by an animalistic roar, and the swift padding of heavy feet. Shaking, she thumbed on the communicator, and after a second or so, Starfire's face crackled into view.

"Friend Raven! It feels like it has been so long! How are you this most joyous of joyous days that are joyous?" The alien princess asked cheerily

"Starfire, help us!"

"Friend Raven, what is wrong? Where are you?"

"Bryter Bay, somewhere! Come quickly, please, we need help, Gar is…" She said shakily, and Starfire saw her flinch visibly as she heard a terrible crunch and the whimper of a creature she knew all too well in pain.

"We will be there as soon as we can, Raven! We will fly there with great haste and fastness!" Starfire promised.

"Then maybe you could make a start instead of standing there talking to me about it?" She asked acidly, cutting off the conversation. She paused, and looked confused. It wasn't like her to say such things, was it? She was feeling funny…

* * *

Beast Boy lunged at the lady, hoping that the strength of a silverback gorilla should put her down for the count. She didn't even duck, and he overbalanced as his arm somehow drifted straight through her.

"Maybe my powers won't affect a God like Lover-Boy over there, but I'm sure they'll work on you!" She lashed out, and Garfield was almost thrown forwards with the force her fist in the small of his back. He collided with the fridge, staggering back and rubbing his pounding head.

"What was that?" He asked quietly. Mrs…Jones grabbed his shoulder, slipping her sunglasses back on, and leaned close to his ear.

"That is the sound of inevitability." She said mockingly. Beast Boy shot her a dirty look.

"OK, that's just cheesy." He said critically. She shrugged.

"Like I care what you think." She pointed out, before spinning him around into the wall. Plaster crumbled around him with the force of his impact, and he wasn't sure if he'd cried out or not. He forced himself up and pounced at her, shifting into a poisonous snake on the way. She phased through him again and caught his tail as he passed, bringing his head down onto the floor with a resounding smack. He reverted to his human form without meaning to, only to find she still held him by the foot. He felt himself dragged upwards by his leg, looking into her malicious face through a bruised eye.

"Here's the deal, kid. We're going to kill you, we're going to do our best to kill him, and then we're going to take her and kill her. And there's not a thing you can do about it."

Change. He had to change, try again and again. Maybe the guy would be more vulnerable? He wriggled out of her grip, and pounced the man as a panther. Soon, there was an iron grip around his throat, hotter than anything he'd ever felt before. He whimpered, and squirmed, smoke rising from between the man's fingers as he burned.

Mr…Jones looked over to the bathroom door, seeing Raven standing there.

"We're coming for you, Portal." He taunted, hoisting Beast Boy up by his neck. "Just as soon as we finish playing with your friends, that is."

_Leave him alone._

Mr…Jones looked around. The voice had come from nowhere. Raven was trembling., her eyes scrunched up. Tiny flickers of black sparked and fizzed around her.

"What can you do to stop me?" He asked, making an educated guess and increasing the pressure on Beast Boy's throat. "You can't even use your powers."

Garfield's legs kicked hopelessly in the air as he fought for breath, and Cupid lay slumped against the wall. Miss…Smith came to stand by his side.

"Face it, Portal, we've won. Mr…Smith, put the pet out of his misery and let's get what we came for."

Smoke almost seemed to be pouring from the throat of the green teen, and there was an ominous popping sound as the man squeezed slowly.  
"No." Someone said quietly, the small word cutting through the air like a sword. Miss…Jones gasped in bewildered amazement as the shadow moved across the room like a wall, etching the scene in black and white.

"What's going on? Her powers should be blocked!" She protested, turning to look at Raven.

Her hair moved around her head in a breeze no-one else could feel. Her mouth was set in a thin line, grim and determined. Her shoulders were set, and her eyes glowed a deep and sinister red like a promise of terrible things to come. All four of them.

"Put him down." She growled in a voice that echoed with malice and hatred. She was the hammer of the Gods. She was Righteous Fury, she was Confrontation, she was Vengeance. She was Rage.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

.**DC**…After Christmas. I was really hoping to get the story finished before I went home to spend some time with my folks, but there we go, can't be helped. Tune in next time for the conclusion to S_apphire Bullets_, and thank you once again for your support...Please Review, it gives me a lovely warm glow inside.

Peace Out, See You Space Cowboy, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and general Season's Greetings to you all!

Yours Festively, DC


	12. Country Roads Take Me Home

**Sapphire Bullets 12**

**DC** – Sorry it's late…I know I promised to finish this before the New Year, but the best laid plans of mice and men, etc. Thank you to everyone who read this story, and a sincere thanks you to everyone who's reviewed. No-one was making you, but you did it anyway, because you all plain _rock._ You enabled me to turn this little story into something I'm truly proud of, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride too. Let's finish this.

**Disclaimer** – I don't own Teen Titans. However, since Christmas, I do own a couple of scarves that make me think I'm Doctor Who…

**Sapphire Bullets 12 – Country Roads, Take Me Home

* * *

**

_The Plan had failed. The Meditation Mirror that would hopefully have drawn the false Raven into Nevermore to be ambushed was inaccessible. The emotions stood around, not knowing what to do. Outside, Garfield_ _was fighting valiantly for her, despite how small the odds were. And he was loosing. He was dying. Mr…Smith clamped his hand around the changeling's neck, and Garfield_'_s flesh began to burn. _

_Pandemonium erupted in Nevermore. Screams and wails filled the air. One scream in particular cut through the rest. The howl of the beast. Beneath Rage, the ground cracked open, red light streaming around her as she bared her face to the sky, bellowing her defiance. _

"_HE IS MINE!" She roared, her cape flapping in the wind. The cry resounded throughout Nevermore, bringing a quiet stillness in its wake. And through the silence, Raven walked. Separate from her emotions, now she needed it. She approached Rage, standing in the eye of the storm. The two near-identical girls looked at each other. _

"_False love is strong. Very strong." Raven said quietly. Rage gave her a condescending look through two sets of blood red eyes._

"_I'm stronger." She snarled, lunging at Raven. There was a blur of movement, then Rage found herself on the floor, Raven's heel digging into the small of her back._

"_Only when I allow it."__She said firmly, then removed her foot, standing back. _

"_Go." She said, her voice void of inflection. Rage stood up, and freed of Raven's usual restrictions, she began to grow. The ground beneath her melted and shattered, and the sky above her boiled and distorted until at last she was the ground and the sky. Rage was free…As the landscape bucked and shattered around her, shaking and thundering as True Rage fought the False Love, Raven hoped she'd made the right choice, and waited for her chance…

* * *

_

The dark magic of Raven flowed around and over the room, slipping over the doors and the windows, sealing it off. The walls creaked with the power running through them, threatening to burst them. The Talons of Trigon stared around them, aghast, until they were bodily picked up and slammed back against the coruscating energy barrier that surrounded the room. Garfield slumped to the floor gently, helped down by a wave of dark power. Black claws grasped him and dragged him towards Raven. He was too weak to resist. Through half-closed eyes, she seemed to dominate the room. Her cloak had somehow returned, and was closed tightly around her as the edges rippled. She looked taller, too. And her eyes…He struggled weakly against the claws. He'd seen those eyes on her once before, and it hadn't meant anything good. He remembered what had happened to Doctor Light in a similar grip, and fought hard, but he was too tired, too weak, too injured to struggle. Raven barely seemed to register his presence, and he found himself dragged behind her. Once he was 'safely' behind her, insofar as he considered anything 'safe' right now, the claws relinquished their grip on him, leaving him helpless on the floor, not yet strong enough to move…He needed…he needed…

"Kid, you OK?" someone said, and he felt coarse hands roll him over. His throat was agony, and Cupid didn't look much better. Gods, however, can take a hell of a lot more of a beating than almost anyone else, and he was faring better than the young boy on the floor with the burnt, smoking neck.

"Hang in there, Kid. I can't heal you yet, I was never too good at it and it's all going into keeping me standing. Can I help?"

Garfield thought hard. His instincts were normally great at choosing the right form for any given situation, but now they were all focused on the pain. He desperately tried to keep his mind focused on everything he'd ever learnt about his powers, countless hours spent with books, with his parents, on the computer, finding out about animals and birds and fish and…fish…

He grabbed Cupid's sleeve.

"Got any water?" He croaked hoarsely. Cupid looked around wildly.

"I got an ice box."

"Take me there."

"Why? You want a cool one?" Beast Boy closed his eyes, part in pain, part in despondency.

"I need water, salt water."

Cupid nodded, uncomprehending, dragging Garfield over to the cooler and grabbing a saltshaker from the kitchen counter. He plunged his hand into the ice, and there was a sudden billowing of steam as it melted. He dumped the salt in, and held Garfield under the arms over the small container.

"Now what?" He asked curiously. Beast Boy turned into a starfish and dropped through the God's hands into the water. Cupid looked blank, and then it dawned on him that Starfish are renowned for regeneration.

"Nice thinking." He acknowledged, then went back to see how the fight was going.

* * *

The entire flat was still covered in the dark black magic. It muffled sound and defied touch. It had aura, though, and Cupid felt almost drowned out again, like he had when Trigon had arrived…

The silence was broken by screaming, yelling, and terror so strong he could all but taste it.in the air. He arrived in the main room just in time to see a woman's arm clawing desperately at the floor, nails vainly looking for purchase but finding none as it was inexorably dragged backwards into the unmentionable shadow of Raven's cloak. Just for a moment he thought he saw a suggestion of dead stars in the rustling dark, but then it was gone, as was the hand. Raven turned on Cupid, and her visage was truly terrifying to behold. Those four demonic eyes burned brighter than ever, and her lips were twisted into a cruel parody of a smile.

"And as for you…" She snarled, and Cupid noticed that her voice had taken on a demonic echo of her own voice. Harsh and raw, deep and coarse. Demonic all the way.

"All of this was your fault." She said accusingly, tendrils of her cloak lashing the air around her like sinewy arms. "You put me under a spell! You were the reason we got dragged out here! The reason my home was full of insufferably twee vermin!"

Cupid wasn't sure what she was talking about with that last comment, but she was advancing on him fast, inexorable as the tides.

"Raven, calm down." He pleaded, placating her as best he could. "This isn't the best time. Garfield's hurt real bad, and…"

"Garfield?" Rage halted in her tracks, her four demonic eyes looking as confused and bewildered as possible in the circumstances.

* * *

_Hesitation.__Uncertainty. Cracks in the sky. Raven seized her chances, trusting that her emotions would help subdue Rage, and leapt for the rupture in the sky of Nevermore... _

Raven staggered back as if she'd been struck, her face alternating between four red, angry eyes, and two normal, slightly scared eyes. She flickered between the two states rapidly, almost too fast to keep track of. She stumbled back against the wall, her cloak whipping around her as if in protest. Finally, it settled around her, still and submissive, a simple thing of cloth once again. She pushed her hair away from her eyes, a determined look in her now definitely human eyes.

"Show me." She demanded, the monotone in her voice as damning as her lack of emotion. Unsure of the situation and his place in it, Cupid complied. Raven kneeled down by the water-filled container, making ripples in the surface with her fingertips. It took the keen eyesight of a God to notice the white shimmer of healing magic dissipating in the ripples.

The silence in the room was eventually broken by the whine of jets from outside, and Raven's comm. crackled into life with Cyborg's face.

"Raven, are you OK? What's happened?"

Numbly, she thumbed the device onto it's transmit setting.

"I'm fine, and it's over. But Beast Boy's hurt. We need to get him back to the tower." She said quietly. Cyborg nodded serious.

"We'll send Star down to get you." He said, worry for his friend evident on his face.

Raven nodded and signed off, picking the ice box up by the handle.

"Mind if I take this?" She asked quietly, subdued. Cupid shrugged casually.

"Go ahead." He said, looking around the chaos that was his apartment, only doubly so now.

"Keep in touch." He called after her as she moved towards the door, but she gave no indication that she'd heard him. However, she paused in the doorframe.

"Keep the bike." She said. Cupid blinked in surprise.

"You sure?" He asked, unbelieving.

Raven cocked her head to the side. "It's what he would have wanted." She said quietly.

"That remains to be seen, doesn't it?" Cupid said gently, feeling the pulse of life from the cool box, faint but undeniably there. "But let's just say I'm…looking after it for now."

Raven nodded, and closed the door behind her. Cupid, also known as Eros, also known as Amore, collapsed back against the sofa, assessing the situation with his highly tuned professional senses.

"Nice kids." He evaluated, reaching for the remote and a beer.

* * *

Raven flew carefully upwards to meet Starfire on the roof of the building. The T-Jet hovering a few hundred feet above them, where it was inevitably attracting some attention . Starfire looked at Raven, concerned.

"Friend Raven! How wondrous it is to see that you are well again! But where is Friend Beast Boy? If he is hurt it is not the time for him to be doing the 'Goofying off'"

"It's 'goofing off', Starfire, and…he's in this box." Raven said, her voice void of everything save her usual exasperation when explaining something to the alien. She floated upwards from the roof, towards the jet, Starfire following behind.

"Please Raven, I do not understand. Why is friend Beast Boy in a small cuboid box?"

"I'll tell you that, Star, as soon as you tell me one thing…" Raven bargained, phasing through the floor of the jet with her incumbent burden.

"Yes, Friend Raven?"

"Why is there a small rain cloud floating above Robin's head in the exact shape of a portrait pose of Sla – "

"Shhh! We're…we're not talking about it in front of him." Cyborg whispered quickly. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh…."

* * *

In the centre cockpit, Robin gazed down upon the city, ever vigilant for trouble, pointedly ignoring his own trouble because he had to be imagining it, it would be crazy to think otherwise…But wasn't it crazy to imagine it anyway? This mental tug of war could have continued a while longer had he not sworn he'd seen Slade in a rooftop garden with a cup of tea. He looked away hastily. He could beat this thing. Yeah. As soon as they got back to the tower, he'd see if he couldn't have a holiday…

Slade looked up at the T-Jet calmly, the delicacy of the china cup such a fragile thing in his powerful grasp. He supposed in that way, it was quite a lot like Robin's sanity…

* * *

It was several weeks later, and Beast Boy was sat on his rock watching the sun fade below the horizon. His legs were drawn up to his chest, and one of his hands ran fingertips over his neck. The scarring was almost entirely gone now, the only evidence of his encounter with the Talons of Trigon. If it wasn't for the scar and the conspicuous lack of B-Ped in the garage, you could almost believe it had never happened. Raven still hadn't told anyone what happened to them, either, just that 'she'd sent them away', whatever that meant. Things had pretty much gone back to normal, though. Robin had gone on holiday and come back, and Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven had safeguarded from the city from petty crime in his absence. Beast Boy himself had spent most of the time in convalescence, either unconscious, hooked up to banks of monitors, or various other constraints and restrictions. He hated the confinement as much as he hated the uncomfortable silence that had sprung up between him and Raven. It covered everything like a thick frost, and he didn't even have the spirit to break it. He'd been measured and found wanting. So now he sat on the cool rock, watching the sun sink slowly down the horizon, hearing the waves breaking on the shore, feeling the spray on his face and the cool wind in his hair, almost loosing himself in the physical sensations. Almost, but not quite. Someone was approaching him from the Tower, their quiet footsteps given away by the clattering of loose rocks. Soon, Raven stood beside him, like she had after the thing with the Beast. He wondered if this too would be a 'moment', if there would ever be 'moments' again. He could feel the awkwardness between them like a wall. His ears drooped low against his head, his body language conveying everything he could no longer say to her. To his surprise, she sat down next to him, looking out to the sea.

"You know, I'd never really seen an ocean before I met you all that night." She said quietly, shattering the silence into a thousand shards. Beast Boy looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering where this was going. She stared out at the waves.

"I would never have been allowed to see something like it in Azerath. I'd read about it, but that's no substitute for seeing it yourself. It's so…odd. It can be quiet one moment, and devastating the next…It can bring life, or it can take it away on a whim…It looks like it goes on forever, and we've gone into space, but we still don't know what goes on all the way down there...There are things down there no-one expected to find…People give their life to it and die because of it, no wiser than when they started…" She drifted off into silence, entering a brief and silent communion with the foamy rushing noise of the waves.

"I think I have a lot in common with the sea." She said quietly, her eyes drifting over to Beast Boy's face. He looked confused, and there was a feeling in his stomach that was somehow equal parts light and lead.

"I can't give you what you'd like, BB. In a better world, maybe I could, but…I can't return what you feel." She said gently. Inside, she felt as if she would split in two.

Garfield nodded slowly, exhaling deeply, as if everything he'd pent up inside was being released all at once. Deflated, he gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, I thought as much." He admitted, doing his best to hide it, put on the old familiar joker's mask. Beast Boy didn't have a care in the world, he shrugged it off. Garfield Logan shrivelled a little inside, even though he'd always known it would end this way. The tragic day-dream fantasy of the hopeless romantic. In many ways, it was the story of his life. At least she wasn't dead. At least she was cured. That was what mattered. He squared his shoulders, and turned to look at her. He fancied he saw sympathy and compassion in the languid pools of her eyes, but…who could say?

"Rae? Just so you know…" He hesitated. "I'd do it all again in a second, even now."

Raven's heart might as well have stopped. She was looking back into the dark green depths of his eyes, and it felt like she saw everything within them. It was staggering how open he was about his feelings, how expressive he could be with just a rise of his shoulders, a twitch of his ears, the set of the jaw…She could feel the walls coming up around him. She knew he'd been wounded too much in the past to stay in this raw state for long. She regarded him thoughtfully for a second, then leaned forward. Her cool palm pushed his hair away from his face, and she kissed him softly on the warm skin of his forehead. Somehow, it was on a completely different level to everything that had gone before. The silent tableau lasted for just a few precious short moments, but would warm the both of them in dire moments for a long time indeed.

The moment ended, as moments are prone to do, and Raven stood up, her aura of mystery once again drawn around her like a cloak, her shield against the world and all it's personal attachments, no matter how much it hurt. However, she allowed a small smile to slip through as Beast Boy sat there, astonishment plain upon his face.

"Oh, and Garfield?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell anyone about that, and I'll throw you out the tower."

* * *

**Sapphire Bullets (Of Pure Love)**

**The End**

**DC – **Thank you, everyone, for reading this, for your patience and support. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you thought of the final chapter. If you'd like to get told about other stuff I'm writing in Teen Titans, let me know in the review. I have kind of a little 'heads-up' I've been sending around signed reviewers, and I'd like to carry it on if you'd like me too. Thanks again.

Peace Out,

DC


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